Southern Comfort
by Muse2488
Summary: You wanna know what happens when a small town girl gets shipped over seas to a school she's never been to? Chaos, that's what happens. Unfortunately it's the story of my life. The name is Paislee Hayes and I'm about to go to Hogwarts. Insert sigh here. FINAL CHAPTER UP!
1. Chapter 1

"WHAT?" I shrieked.

This is not happening. This cannot be happening!

I stared at my father as if he had just grown three extra heads, which of course would've been more believable than the bomb he just dropped on me.

"We leave in two days." He said simply, not even looking slightly ashamed. Jerk.

Dear old Dad. He's super blunt and has no problem telling anyone like it is. Even me. His only daughter. His only child actually. And now he's shipping me off to some school called Hogwarts in England for my seventh year of magical training. He's officially gone crazy.

"Dad, it's my last year! How can I just up and leave? I love it here! I love you teaching me!" I argued.

I have been homeschooled since I was eleven. Dad was an excellent teacher as he was an excellent wizard and I learned so much more from him than I could have at any school.

Dad sighed loudly.

"Paislee. You know why we have to go. I'm being transferred to England to work for Harry Potter in their Auror office. This is a very big promotion and you should be thankful for the opportunity to go to an actual school. And Hogwarts is a really good school." Dad told me. I scowled.

"That's not very attractive Paislee." He commented. I scowled harder.

"I don't care if it's attractive or not! This is unfair! I've lived in Brantley my entire life and now you're telling me to up sticks and move! I'm gonna be 17 in like 8 months!" I said, my voice raising several octaves.

"And since you are still 16 you are going to do as I say. Now, this is a great opportunity and school starts in less than a week. Our flight leaves the day after tomorrow at 6am and" Dad was cut off by my shriek.

"6am? As in the morning?" I am NOT a morning person. This is another reason why I love homeschooling so much.

"Take it down an octave will you? And yes 6am, as in the morning." Dad replied dryly.

"Why are you doing this to me Dad?" I asked, trying to keep the tears at bay. One interesting tid bit of information for you. I hate crying. Avoid it at all costs as it's a sign of weakness. And I am not weak.

"All of my friends are here, my life is here. Our life is here. Mom's here." I ended hoarsely.

My mother died five years ago. She was murdered by someone called a 'Death Eater' apparently there used to be a ton of them like twenty years ago until a boy named Harry Potter killed the head of the Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort. That's who my dad is about to work for. Harry Potter, who's in charge of like all Auror's or something now. That's why my Dad became an Auror, dark wizard catcher, was because of my Mom. He's been doing it since she died. He had really great grades in school and passed the training in like 6 months. Dads a good Auror. Like really good. He scored the highest marks in every category of training as well as on the written portion of the final test. He didn't miss a single question. A complete and totally perfect score. He's pretty much a genius. America doesn't have a lot of problems with dark wizards because there aren't many wizards and witches out here in the first place. Most reside in Europe, but here we are. Born and bred American's and totally magically gifted. Sigh.

"I know Paislee, and it'll be hard to go but I'm doing this because of her. So that no one ever goes through what we went through. They need me. They specifically asked for me. I can't say no. You understand don't you?" He asked. His eyes had gone all soft on me and he grabbed my shoulders and started rubbing them. I looked up at him and sighed.

"I understand." I said softly. He smiled and bent down to kiss the top of my head.

"Good. Now go pack, call your friends and tell them that you'll see them later. Once you're done with school you can always come back, ok?" He said. I smiled at that. I could come back! This wasn't going to be a forever kind of thing. Once I was done with school I'm coming back.

"You're right Dad. I'll go do that. Thanks, and I'm sorry for freaking out there."

"It's okay. I kind of just dropped it on you in the first place. So I'm sorry too." He smiled again and I smiled back and then headed upstairs to pack.

Two days came and went and pretty soon we were in a plane heading towards England. I said goodbye to my friends, all three of them, and cried like a baby. I hate crying of course but saying goodbye to Kerianna, Britney, and Lisa was the hardest thing I ever had to do since my Mom died. I promised to write and they did as well. Apparently cell phones didn't work at Hogwarts. My friends were Muggles and since they were I pretty much was one too. I did all of the things that they did and had all of the technology that they had. Of course they had never seen me use magic since it was illegal for anyone under the age of 17 to do magic, but they'd seen my Mom and Dad so they were totally cool with it. I didn't have a lot of friends because once people saw me doing magic when I was really little I was labeled a freak and have been ever since. I didn't attend regular schools like Muggles did and that made me even more of a freak apparently. So I had my three best friends who have been there for me through everything. I would never have gotten through Mom's death without them. And now I'm leaving. I sucked in a breath and clamped my mouth shut tightly, trying to hold back the tears. Dad rubbed my shoulder and smiled at me. I smiled back and then fell asleep.

I'll skip the really boring parts about unpacking, school shopping, and how tiny our apartment, I mean flat is. These people have the weirdest names for things. Anywho! Dad and I were on our way to the train station (King's Cross is the name I think) and I had all of my school stuff and a new owl. That's right. An owl! Apparently they don't have mailmen either and owls do all the deliveries. She's a beautiful owl, dark chocolate in color with white tips. I named her Alura. It was English. Like you know, British English. We made it to platform nine and three quarters (har!) and we walked right through it. Luckily the headmistress of the school had visited our apart- I mean flat last night to give me school instructions.

Her name was Minerva McGonagall and she was kind of…brash. She reminded a lot of my dad. Tells it like it is kinda gal. She brought this old looking hat called the 'Sorting Hat' (Original right?) and put it on my head. Apparently all students are 'sorted' into different houses when they first go to Hogwarts and the hat is who sorts them. Well apparently I'm in Gryffindor which is what Harry Potter was in so it can't be too bad right? She also explained how to get to the train and gave me school clothes. Oops I mean robes. She already knew my size and everything, a little creepy if you ask me.

I was going to have to take a few history classes apparently so I decided to read my school books in advance.

Oh yea, I'm a total book worm. I love reading. It's so much better than watching TV.

But I read Hogwarts, A History last night and found out that most evil wizards come from the Slytherin house so I thanked my lucky starts I wasn't sorted into there. Ravenclaw was full of smarty pants apparently and I knew my Dad would've been sorted into Ravenclaw. While, I'm smart I suck at math and sciences so no wonder I wasn't sorted into that house. Hufflepuff apparently is full of really nice people, goody goody's as my friend Kerianna put it when I phoned her. And Gryffindor was full of like really brave and noble people so that made me smile. So all in all I guess this wasn't going to be a total drag.

We made our way towards the train and Dad helped me get my stuff off of the cart and hugged me tightly.

"I'll see you at Christmas. I'll write often. Try to be good. And no sarcasm to the professors. Understand?" He said, giving me a knowing look.

I was a bit on the mouthy side. Okay, I was really, really mouthy. Sarcasm is like a way of life for me.

"Of course father! I ever so want to please my professors! I shall be the incarnation of respectful!" I said brightly in an English accent. It was pretty good too, if I do say so myself.

Dad snorted. Which made me smile.

"One letter from a teacher about your smart mouth and you're grounded." He told me, a smile playing on his lips to let me know he wasn't serious. I had never been grounded before a day in my life. I was a good kid. A mouthy, sarcastic, good kid.

I hugged my Dad tightly and kissed his cheek before grabbing my stuff and making my way onto the train. I turned around and he waved, I returned the favor taking one last look at my father. I smiled bravely and climbed aboard.

The train was full of people. From teeny tiny eleven year olds to super tall teenagers. However, I'm not a good judger of size. I'm a bit short. Okay! Fine! I'm really short!

I'm 5'2 and barely making it. I have strawberry blonde hair that hits right at my shoulders and bangs that swoop to the side, partially covering my left eye. I'm rather pale for someone who's grown up in the south her whole life but I don't care. Tanning never worked for me. I just burn. I'm rather fit since I love Quidditch. I'm a Chaser, a dang good one at that too. There are no teams in America but my Dad trained me and I played a few games with a few wizards that lived in the county next to ours.

I walked silently down the corridors, wincing slightly at the screeches and high pitched giggles as I walked. I finally found an empty room and I quickly claimed it, pushing my stuff above my head and setting my owl's cage on the floor by my feet. I sighed and leaned my head back, closing my eyes. It was nice to have a quiet moment. But it didn't last. There was a loud bang sound and someone crying 'ouch' and the door to my little compartment was opened. Two girls stood there and looked at one another before looking back at me.

"Hey there. Sorry but all the other places are full. Do you mind if we sit in here with you?" The blonde said to me. She was drop dead gorgeous. I mean, really pretty. Models would literally kill to be that pretty. She was tall too and almost…glowed. I know that sounds weird but I swear it's the truth.

"Uh…yeah. Sure, ya'll can sit here." I said. Their eyes widened and I blushed slightly. Of course now they're gonna think I'm a freak with my stupid American southern accent. And I had a thick one at that since I lived in Alabama for practically my whole life.

"Where are you from?" The brown haired girl asked me.

"Uh, America." I replied.

"I knew I hadn't seen you before. Are you a transfer or something?" The blonde asked me. She had a slight French accent I noticed.

"Yeah. My Dad got a promotion to the Auror office here in England. I've been homeschooled mostly. This is my first time at a real school." I said. Their eyes widened even more if that was possible.

"Wow! I think I'd kill my parents if they forced me to move to another country." The blonde said. The brunette nodded. I smiled weakly.

"Trust me, that's what I thought about doing. But, I love my dad and this is my last year anyways so I can always go back." I said.

"That's good. Oh how terribly rude of us! We haven't properly introduced ourselves. Right prats we are! My name is Dominique Weasley." The blonde said, extending her hand, I shook it.

"And I'm Rose Weasley. Dominique here is my cousin and a year older than I am. This is my sixth year." I shook Rose's hand as well and smiled. They returned the smile.

"My name is Paislee Hayes. It's nice to meet you two." I said.

"What an interesting name! It's really pretty!" Dominique replied. I snorted.

"Sure, being named after an atrocious fabric pattern is really pretty." I commented. Dominique and Rose started laughing.

"Oh she's got a right sense of humor there. I think we're going to be great friends." Dominique said.

"I agree dear cousin. We shall show this American the ways of a proper Brit!" Rose said, pointing a finger high in the air. I laughed.

"I am totally lost. Things are very different here than in America. Like what you guys call a flat, we call an apartment." I said. They both wrinkled their noses.

"That sounds too close to compartment. I wouldn't be able to say that." Rose said with a laugh.

"Oh Rose, don't be such a prat! You're making fun of her language!" Dominique scolded. That was the second time I heard that word.

"What's a prat?" I asked. They looked at me with wide eyes.

"Um…it's kind of like an insult. Like idiot." Rose said.

"Oh. It sounds a lot like brat. In America, when someone's acting particularly childish we call them a brat." I said.

"I rather like that word. We should use it Rose." Dominique said.

"So you two are cousins?" I asked.

"Yes, half of the school is a cousin or sibling of some sort." Rose said and Dominique grimaced.

"I take you guys have a big family?" I asked.

"Big doesn't even begin to describe it. If the last name is Potter or Weasley, they're related to us." Dominique added.

"Potter? As in like, Harry Potter? World famous wizard and head of the Auror office?" I asked, my voice raising a few octaves. That happened a lot.

"Yup. Uncle Harry!" Rose said with a smile.

"My Dad is working directly under him. He's the one who hired him, my Dad that is." I said. Rose and Dominique's eyebrows raised.

"That's awesome! I mean, Uncle Harry has never done that before. You're Dad must be bloody brilliant!" Rose said.

"Yeah, he's normally all 'I don't want anyone else involved.' He's very independent, unless Uncle Ron or Aunt Hermione are involved. He knows better than to tell them no." Dominique quipped with a smile.

"And Aunt Ginny. She'd throttle him." Rose added.

"Yeah, my Dad can be like that sometimes. But Mr. Potter seemed really nice. Invited us over for tea during the holidays." I said.

"Well it'll probably be at the Burrow." Rose said and Dominique nodded. I giggled.

"The Burrow? What's that?" I asked, thinking of a rabbit hole.

"It's where our Grandparents live. Huge house with like a hundred rooms. Our parents grew up there." Rose said.

"How many kids did your Grandparents have?" I asked.

"Well let's see…" Dominique said holding up her fingers. "There's Uncle Percy, My Dad Bill, Uncle Charlie, Uncle George, Uncle Fred God rest his soul, Uncle Ron, and Aunt Ginny. So seven all together and each one has at least two kids. If they've got red hair or reddish hair, they're a Weasley. Except of course James and Al they've got black hair, but their sister Lily has red like Aunt Ginny."

"I'm sorry about ya'lls Uncle Fred." I said. I noticed the 'God rest his soul' part.

"Yeah, we never met him but he was quite the mischief maker. Uncle George and him even have a joke shop. You'll be able to visit it once we have a Hogsmeade weekend. Uncle George and his wife, Aunt Angelina, have a son named Fred but everyone calls him Freddie, after our Uncle. And he is most definitely living up to his namesake." Rose said with a laugh, Dominique joined her shortly.

"Yes, him and James certainly do manage to get into quite a lot of mischief." Dominique said.

"I quite resent that." An amused voice said from the door to our compartment. Rose and Dominique sighed. My heart just stopped beating.

Standing in the doorway was the most gorgeous guy I had ever seen in my life. He was super tall, at least 6'0. He had black hair, that was unbelievably messy and sexy, and bright hazel eyes. Almost honey in color actually. He was wearing normal clothes, and by normal I mean Muggle, and his arm muscles were clearly visible through his dark grey shirt. His dark jeans and dark shirt seemed to brighten his eyes. He was leaning against the door with his arms crossed over his chest.

There was a red head right next to him who was quite attractive as well. He was leaner, and had a sprinkle of freckles across his nose which was odd because he looked very tan. And most people with tans didn't have freckles. He had brown eyes that looked kind of like chocolate. He was leaning on the other side of the black haired boy.

"James, Freddie, what you two doing here? I thought you guys were sharing a compartment with Al and Scorpius?" Rose said.

I was a bit lost. And what kind of a name was Scorpius?

"We were, but the little bits were getting annoying so we decided to check in on a few of our Slytherin friends when we heard a very interesting piece of news." James said. Freddie smirked.

"And what news was this Jamesie?" Dominique asked in a clearly annoyed voice. I stifled a giggle.

James and Fred turned to look at me. I blushed slightly.

"That there was an extremely attractive American on board." James said looking straight at me. I snorted.

Everyone looked at me.

"Sorry. I snort and scowl a lot. My Dad says it's unattractive but I've been doing it for so long it's kind of like second nature to me now. Ya'll will get used to it." I said and then face palmed. I said ya'll again. James and Freddie started grinning largely.

Darn my stupid southern accent!

"That has got to be the cutest accent I ever heard." Freddie stated. I scowled.

"And it looks like she was telling the truth about the scowling thing; however I don't think it's unattractive." James said and then, get this, I blushed bright red. Not only am I a southern country bumpkin, but now I'm a red southern country bumpkin.

Kill me now, please. Thanks.

"And she blushes. I have a feeling this is going to be a great year." James said smirking. And if possible it made him look even more handsome. Too bad he was already annoying me.

"And I have a feeling I'm going to be hexing you a lot." I said in a sickly sweet voice. James and Freddie started laughing. Freddie had a rather mellow laugh whereas James's burst out and was very deep. It was a nice sound.

"Looks like she'll fit right in with our lot." Freddie said.

"I agree cousin. So, American, what's your name?" James asked, plopping down next to me on the right, Freddie taking the seat on my left. Dominique and Rose gave me 'I'm sorry' looks and I grimaced slightly.

"Well, Britain, my name is Paislee Hayes." I said. Freddie and James grinned wider.

"A bit cheeky aren't we?" James said.

"Cheeky?" I asked. Another weird word.

I'm never going to fit in here.

"Does she know nothing of our British ways dear cousins?" Freddie asked Dominique and Rose.

"Not much. She's going to learn though; we're going to teach her. Already taught her the word prat and I'm sure she'll be using it a lot around the two of you. And she taught us a new word as well. Brat. Very similar to prat in sound and meaning." Rose said. I smiled.

"Well cheeky means sarcastic." James said. I brightened at that. Cheeky was most deff my forte.

"Well in that case, then yes I am most deff cheeky." I said.

"Well I so far I approve. You're cheeky, attractive, and quick with the threats. Now just one more test." James said, giving a knowing look to Freddie. I gulped.

"And what is that?" I asked.

"What house are you in?" The boys asked at the same time.

"Gryffindor." I replied with a smile. If these people were related to Harry Potter then surely they were all in Gryffindor. And I expected James was Harry's son, they resemblance was there. Especially the hair. When Mr. Potter visited mine and Dad's apar- er…flat, his hair was crazy like James'.

The room exploded with applause. Dominique and Rose seemed much more excited and Dominique was insisting that I 'dorm' with her. I guess that meant room with her, which would be a-okay with me. Rose was a year younger and from what I had read in Hogwarts, A History, boys and girls had separate rooms and were grouped by year, so she wouldn't be rooming with us.

"This is fantastic! We'll have all the same classes just about!" Dominique said. James and Freddie looked even more satisfied than ever but stood to their feet and were moving towards the door.

"Well we'll be there soon better get ready. Time flies when you're wooing Americans." James said and I blushed deeper.

"Oh this is going to be fun. She's almost too easy." Freddie said. I groaned and face palmed again.

"I know several hexes. I may have been homeschooled, but my father was great with revenge hexes." I said standing up to my full height. Ahem. Not a smart move.

Freddie and James moved in towards me, arms across their chests and then looked down. Way down. Both of them towered over me.

"Look at her James! She's so tiny!" Freddie said patting me on the head. I swatted his hand away and scowled.

"Makes her even more attractive if that's even possible." James said with a smirk. I scowled. They laughed.

Insert sigh here.

"Alright you two! Leave our new best friend alone! Go on, scat you prats! We need to change and as I'm sure you don't want to see your family in their knickers I suggest you leave soon." Rose said standing to push the two boys away. They winked at me and then left. But before the door closed we all heard James say, "Wouldn't mind seeing the American in her knickers."

This is going to be the longest year of my life.


	2. Chapter 2

Great thing about moving to a different country is that I kind of get to reinvent myself. No one knows me here and I can be anyone I want to be! Unfortunately I'm already set in my ways.

Insert sigh here.

We had landed and were now boarding these carriages that were being pulled by these huge skeletal horse looking creatures. I gasped.

"What are those?" I squeaked, pointing to one of the horse things.

"What? Oh, pulling the carriages? Wait! You can see them?" Rose exclaimed.

I nodded, too freaked out to speak.

"Well, they're called thestrals and only people who have seen death can see them." Dominique added rather quietly.

Did I mention my Mom was murdered in front of me? No? Well, you know happy memories tend to be suppressed at times. (Hint the sarcasm.)

"Can you two see them?" I asked; my voice surprisingly hoarse.

They shook their heads.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to Paislee." Dominique said.

"My mom was murdered by some Death Eater five years ago. I don't know who, my Dad refuses to tell me his name. He killed her in front of me." I said quietly, still standing and staring at the thestral. Rose and Dominique gasped.

"We were shopping when a man grabbed her and asked for her money. He was trying to rob us. My Mom threw her purse at him and told him to take it and go. He was about to leave when he caught sight of me. He went to grab me and my Mom stood in front of him making a grab for her wand but she was too slow and he cast a killing curse at her. I screamed and people started to notice what was going on. He disapparated. He was wearing a hood so I never saw his face. My Dad caught him a year later. He was dead. It's kind of hard to think that my Dad is capable of such a thing, but I'm pretty sure my Dad killed him."

"I'm so sorry Paislee." Rose said and Dominique patted my shoulder comfortingly.

"It's okay. I miss her a lot, but at least I have my Dad." I said, trying my hardest not to cry. I hated crying. Have I mentioned that?

"It must've been hard leaving your home. But, hey! You've met us and I know we're going to be the best of friends!" Dominique said.

"Thank you Rose. Thank you Dominique." I said quietly.

"Please, call me Dom. All my friends do." She said smiling. I smiled back and the three of us climbed onto the carriage. Right as it lurched forward four more people climbed their way in it. Two of those people were James and Freddie. I groaned.

"Sick of us already American?" Freddie asked with a smirk. The two other boys that climbed in looked a bit younger.

James and Freddie forced their way on either side of me and the other two boys sat next to Dom and Rose. The boy on the left had blonde hair. I mean like super blonde hair. He looked to be about 15, Roses age. Rose blushed slightly as he sat next to her. I smiled. They're sweet on each other.

AWE!

The boy next to Dom looked slightly like James, but younger. He had the same messy black hair, but instead of hazel eyes, this boy had extremely bright green eyes. They were really pretty, mesmerizing almost. They shined behind his glasses.

"Introductions are in order. These two young gentlemen are Albus Severus Potter, my little brother, and Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, his best friend. This is our new extremely attractive American transfer student." James said with a grin.

I rolled my eyes and ignored his comment.

"Hi, my name is Paislee Hayes. It's nice to meet ya'll." I waved.

"It's Al actually. Please don't call me Albus. For some reason my parents hate me." Albus, I mean Al, said. I smiled. I knew how that went. Why did parents name their children atrocious names?

"Scorpius is just fine. James Sirius Potter is a git." The blond said smiling. I smiled back, then my eyebrows furrowed. Git?

"Git?" I asked. Another weird word. All these words are getting hard to keep up with.

James smiled.

"Git means stupid. And I am not a git Scorpius. Don't make me hex you in front of our beautiful American transfer student." He said pulling out his wand. Scorpius snorted and pulled his out.

"Bring it on Jimmy." Scorpius said with a grin.

"Rictusempra!" James got out before Scorpius could open his mouth.

Scorpius exploded in a fit of giggles. I winced. I felt bad for him. I was extremely ticklish. Like everywhere. All you had to do was threaten me and I was off. My Dad often uses that spell on me to get me to do my chores. He had in fact used it just last week to make me pack faster. Jerk.

Scorpius was holding his sides and moving around in his seat, trying desperately to stop the tickling.

"J-James! Plehehehease!" Scorpius begged. James, Freddie, and Dom were roaring with laughter. Rose was trying to act sympathetic but was giggling. Al was pulling out his wand to help his friend.

"Al, lift that spell and you'll be next." James warned. Al narrowed his eyes and then relented with a sigh. I guess he was ticklish too.

Scorpius was still laughing madly and was leaning on Rose for support.

"JAMES! HAHAHAHA! S-STOP!" Scorpius yelled. James finally waved his wand and Scorpius sighed in relief. Giggling every once in a while and twitching.

"I hate you." He said. James and Freddie laughed.

"Awe! You're too kind!" James said, throwing a hand onto his chest as if clutching his heart. I rolled my eyes.

"I take you two are quite the jokesters." I commented dryly.

"You take correctly American. Freddie here and I are the masters of all pranks. Not even my grandfather or our Uncle Fred have outdone us. We have been equaled by no one. However, we do owe The Marauders and Uncle Fred a lot. They've been great inspiration. Bloody brilliant they were." James said.

"Would you please stop calling me American? I have a name you know. Paislee Hayes!" I said irritated with the fact that they kept calling me American. I mean, my stinking accent was so thick I'm sure everyone knew where I was from.

Jerks!

I mean, Gits!

Ha! I could totally get the hang of their language.

James smirked. Did this boy have any other facial expression?

"Well Ms. Paislee Hayes do you have a middle name? You know all of ours so it's only fair we know yours." James said.

"Actually I don't know Dom's, Rose's, or Freddie's. Just yours, Al's, and Scorpius's since you said them out loud." I said.

"Yeah. You did. My first name's awful enough." Al said with a grimace. I stifled a giggle. James started laughing along with Freddie.

"I wouldn't make fun of his name if I were you. Sirius? I mean, seriously Sirius?" I said with a sarcastic (cheeky) grin.

Everyone started laughing. James scowled slightly but he couldn't stop the grin that started to spread across his face.

"I was named after my grandfather and my middle name is after my Dad's godfather. He was part of The Marauders with my grandfather. Atrocious name I know, my father is a bit of a sap." James said with a smile. "So out with it Hayes. What's your middle name?"

Ugh! My middle name was just as bad as my first.

"Jeanette." I said quietly.

"Oh that's not nearly as bad as Severus or Sirius." Al said.

"Or Hyperion." Scorpius added.

"Well what about you three?" I asked looking at Freddie and then at Dom and Rose.

"Well my middle name is Abella. It's French like my Mother." Dom said.

"Mine is Carolyne. Not after anyone in particular." Rose said.

"And mine is Dylan. Not after anyone special either." Freddie said.

"Alright so now that we all know each other's names I say we get to know the American a bit better." James said. I groaned.

"Well, might as well get this over with. I have a feeling ya'll are gonna stick to me like glue." I said.

Everyone laughed.

"I just can't get over her accent. It's so adorable. We need to make her talk all the time." James said.

"Okay, okay! Enough! I'll answer your questions, what do you wanna know?" I asked.

"First off do you know about Quidditch?" Freddie asked.

"Of course! Best sport ever. I play a lot. I'm a Chaser and quite fantastic if I do say so myself." I said rather smugly.

"That's actually amazing. I'm captain and we're down a Beater and a Chaser since ours graduated this past school year. You should try out." James said. I smiled.

"Sure. Couldn't hurt. Besides, you can learn how tough this American is." I said with a smirk.

"What do you do for fun?" Rose asked.

"I love to read." I said. Rose's face lit up and everyone else groaned.

"Great, another Aunt Hermione." Dom said with a smile.

"There's nothing wrong with reading! It expands the vocabulary and imagination!" I cried. Rose started nodding enthusiastically.

"I've been telling them this for ages. I'm so glad I'm not the only bookworm." Rose said.

"Okay, I have a question. What's your greatest strength?" Dom asked.

That was a loaded question.

"Uh…I'm not sure. I mean I'm a really good flier." I said.

"That doesn't count. I mean a real strength." Dom said.

"Okay. Um. I'm like fiercely motivated. Once I set my mind on something I will not stop until it's completed. And I mean it; I've never not finished something. I'm an unstoppable force once I put my mind to it."

"Now there's a trait Freddie and James need." Rose said with a sly grin. Al and Scorpius started laughing.

"Oi! We finish stuff!" James said.

"Yeah! We finish every prank we pull!" Freddie added.

"Pranks don't count. When's the last time you actually finished your own homework?" Al asked.

James and Freddie looked a bit sheepish and said nothing.

"I rest my case." Al said.

"What's your greatest weakness?" James asked suddenly. I blanched.

"I guess I'm a bit naïve. My dad says I'm the most gullible person on the planet."

"Excellent." James and Freddie said.

"Honestly boys, give her some time before you start pranking the poor dear. Honestly, can't you two wait a bloody minute?" Rose said. They just laughed. Al and Scorpius joined in and Rose scowled at them.

"What's your favorite color?" Freddie asked.

"Orange." I replied with a smile. "Now how bout' y'all tell me some things about yourself. Likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses things like that."

"But we already know each other." Freddie whined.

"Well I don't know y'all!" I retorted.

"Fine! Well I'm going to be 17 in two months. I'm captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. I'm a Chaser as well. I hate anchovies, disgusting little buggers; my greatest strength has got to be my devilishly good looks as well as my cleverness. Greatest weakness? Nothing. I'm perfect." James said with a smirk.

I snorted.

Everyone laughed.

"His weakness is his pratiness. Super cocky." Al said. James rolled his eyes.

"You wankers just can't see how great I am." James replied.

"Oi!" Freddie said, looking offended.

"Except you Freddie. You're the only one who understands me." James said mockingly tearfully while reaching out for Freddie's hand. Freddie reached his out and the two boys began to mock cry.

I snorted again.

Attractive right?

They two boys sobered up as Dom spoke.

"Well, I'm 17 already and a bit of a girly girl. I love make-up and doing hair and fashion and all that. I hate kippers, they're so gross. My greatest strength would have to be my fashion sense. My greatest weakness is that I'm quite doubtful. I second guess myself a lot. I'm also not strong, like in the physical sense." Dom said.

"I just turned 15 two weeks ago. I'm a total bookworm. I love homework and getting good grades. I hate chocolate. I know I'm a nutter, but I just can't stand the stuff. Too sweet. My greatest weakness would be that I try too hard to be perfect. I'm also a klutz. Can't walk a straight line if my life depended on it." Rose said.

I smiled.

"Well I'm 15 as well and a total disappointment to my family. I come from a long line of hatred and am now best friends with my family's arch nemesis. I'm bloody brilliant at Quidditch. I play Keeper for the Gryffindor team. I hate cheese, and no I'm not lactose intolerant the stuff's just gross. My greatest strength would be the ability to constantly tick off my family. Greatest weakness would be wanting to prove to everyone how different I am from my family. I'm also extremely ticklish as my dear friend Jimmy here proved. Git." Scorpius said.

We all laughed at that. I wondered at what he meant about his family though. It sounded rather sad but he didn't seem to upset by it.

"I'm 15 too and rather friendly with everyone. I don't have too many problems with people in general. I'm a brilliant Seeker, the spots mine on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. I hate Coca Cola, makes my teeth feel gritty. My greatest strength would be my friendliness I reckon. My greatest weakness would have to be trying to live up to everyone's expectations of me because of whom my Dad is. I'm expected to be brilliant at DADA but I'm actually better at potions. I'm also a bit on the clumsy side like my dear cousin Rosie." Al said.

I knew he was Harry Potter's other son the moment I looked at him. He was the spitting image of the man. Glasses and everything.

"I'm 17 already and I'm bloody brilliant at everything. Best Beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. James is the only one who matches me in pranks and in cleverness. I hate pears, it's a texture thing. I too have no weakness except for maybe I'm a bit too trusting. I'm drop dead gorgeous and have a wicked sense of humor." Freddie added and high fived James.

"There! Now you know all of us. So come one. Out with it!" James encouraged.

I sighed.

"Well, um. I'm 16. Won't be 17 for another 7 months, we started schooling when I was ten instead of 11. Like I said I'm a fantastic flier. I'm a really good Chaser as well. I hate anchovies as well. Most disgusting fish ever and I'll never understand why they put it on pizza. I too am a book word and I don't want to hear a word about it. I'm obviously from America. A small town named Brantley in Alabama. I've been homeschooled for most of my life by my Dad. My greatest strength like I said is my motivation. My weaknesses would be my naivety and I'm also…er…quite…ticklish."

James and Freddie's grins grew even wider.

Insert gulp here.

"This is very useful information. I'm quite excited about this year." James said, idly twirling his wand. I scowled.

"I'm also quick with a wand." I warned. James smirked.

"I can't wait to test that." James said. I rolled my eyes.

"Almost there." Rose said. I looked up for the first time and saw a huge castle. Towers were shooting up into the night sky. I gasped in wonder.

"Rather brilliant isn't it?" James whispered in my ear.

A shiver ran down my spine and I giggled as his breath tickled my ear and I slapped at him. He laughed.

Jerk.

I mean Git.

Phew, keeping up with all these different kinds of insults was getting to be tough.

"Stop that!" I shouted at him.

"Too easy." James said. And the carriages stopped.

Everyone started piling out, grabbing bags and purses as they jumped off the sides. I climbed out after everyone. They started walking towards the entrance of the castle, but I stayed rooted to my spot.

I can't do this.

I'm such a wuss, but this is all just too much too soon. A little more than a week ago I was just a normal (kinda sorta not really) teenage girl growing up in Brantley Alabama. Now I'm in another country, at a school full of kids I had never met.

Home now. Please? Thanks.

"C'mon Hayes. Surely you're not scared of a couple of Brits." James said, appearing next to me. I looked up at him. He was smiling smugly, but I could see a look of genuine concern in his eyes. He was challenging me, but also letting me know that I could trust him. All of them.

I smirked.

"No way Potter." I said. He smirked back and we walked together to the entrance of the castle.

Well, here goes nuttin!


	3. Chapter 3

Hogwarts was huge! There were so many kids, ranging from Irish to Scottish, to British and so on. And I was, unfortunately, the only American there.

Insert sigh here.

James and Freddie walked on either side of me yelling 'Make way! Sexy American with an adorable accent coming through!' Jerks.

I mean, Gits!

The feast was amazing and Headmistress McGonagall gave a nice speech about inter-house unity and keeping the peace. She also warned students to stay away from the Forbidden Forest (duh!) and that the caretaker, Argus Filch, didn't want magic done in the corridors. In my opinion that's total crap. How are we expected to not do magic in the corridors. Lame sauce.

After the feast we were told to go to our dorms. I followed Dom and Rose to the Gryffindor common room. Freddie, James, Al, and Scorpius followed us and I was then introduced to another few family members. I met James' and Al's little sister Lily. She was very pretty. She was almost as tall as Al who was like 5'9 and of course towered over me. Her hair was a fiery shade of red and very wavy, falling down to the middle of her back. She was in her fifth year so she wouldn't be in the same dorm as Dom and I. I also met Roxanne, Freddie's sister. She looked a lot like Fred; dark skin, reddish brown hair and just as tall as he is. Sigh. Roxanne was rooming with Dom and I and there was another girl named Starlene. She was very pretty as well.

What is up with all of these gorgeous Brits?

She had long brown, curly hair with deep chocolate brown eyes. She wasn't nearly as tall as everyone else but, you guessed it, she was taller than me. By like 3 inches. She was 5'5 and completely ecstatic at not being the shortest person in the group. She was full of energy, literally bouncing around and talking a mile a minute. I had to grab her shoulders and force her to still, it was pretty hilarious. We bid the boys goodnight and climbed up to our dorm. All of my things were already sitting on a full size canopy bed with thick red and gold curtains. Which will come in handy when blocking light because our room had like four windows. Alura, my owl was already in the Owlry becoming friends with all the other owls.

Before we went to bed the four of us compared schedules. I wanted to become a healer once I was finished with schooling so I had a lot of classes that I needed to take. I was taking Herbology, Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, History of Magic, Defense against the Dark Arts and Muggle Studies. I figured Muggle studies would be an easy A since I practically grew up as one. Dom and Starlene were taking the exact same classes as I was at the same times which was really encouraging. Roxanne was a total freak and was taking Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy instead of Muggle Studies. She had to get a Time Turner in order to take all the classes she needed.

I could hardly sleep I was so nervous about classes the next morning. What if no one liked me? What if everyone thought I was a freak? What if they all hate Americans? Oh my gosh! What if they came into my dorm in the middle of the night and stole all my underwear and then stuck them on the walls with a Permanent Sticking charm and then everyone started laughing at me?

Okay, okay. I might be overreacting a bit.

Or a lot.

Finally, I allowed the wonderful thoughts of complete and utter humiliation to lull me to sleep.

"Paislee! Come on girl! It's time to wake up! Rise and shine!" A sing songy voice cried right next to my ear. I shrieked and fell off my bed. Luckily Starlene was smart enough to move away from me before I fell. The girls started laughing. I groaned from the floor, my face on the cold hard wood floor.

"What time is it?" I mumbled.

"8 in the morning Paislee Jeanette Hayes! And it's time for your first day of actual school!" Starlene sang. I groaned again and stayed on the floor.

"You're not a morning person are you Paislee?" Dom asked. I groaned in response. They laughed.

"Come on! Up and at em! Breakfast starts at 9am and classes start at 9:45." Starlene said tugging on my arm and forcing me to stand. I shuffled towards the bathroom, showered quickly, dressed and let my hair air dry which meant it would be slightly curly. I wasn't much of a make-up person. Starlene and Dom were though. They both emerged looking like freaking super models, their hair done elegantly and faces painted. Roxanne had a small amount of make up on and pulled her hair into a pony tail. We all had our uniforms on, I mean robes, and I felt like I was part of the Van Trapp family.

I was wearing a pleated skirt, collard long sleeve shirt that was white, a sleeveless grey sweater vest with red and gold stitching around the edges and Gryffindor's seal, stockings, and Mary Jane's. Can we say porno fantasy?

"Do I seriously have to wear this? I mean the skirts down to my knees but this has bad porno written all over it." I said. The girls laughed.

"It's not that bad. At least we can dress it up." Starlene said and Dom nodded.

"Ready for breakfast?" Roxanne asked. We nodded and made our way down to the Great Hall.

Great Hall? Wonder why they call it that? Maybe cuz it's…..great? HA! I slay myself!

We went straight towards the Gryffindor table and sat down. We were joined shortly by James, Freddie, Scorpius, and Al. Rose and Lily shortly followed. We all piled food onto our plates and finally started eating. I had just stuffed a huge forkful of eggs into my mouth when James spoke.

"So how was your first night at Hogwarts American?" James asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Are you ever going to call me by name? Or is it going to be American all year?" I asked. James smiled.

"I'll probably change my mind throughout the year. Count your blessings American at least I'm not mentioning your…height issues." James said the last part carefully. I scowled at him.

"Say anything about my height and you'll have a tail in three seconds flat." I warned him. Freddie laughed while James blanched for the tiniest fraction of a second before his smirk was back in place.

"Man, I really like her. I hope you're as good as you say you are at Quidditch, the team will be much more fun with your cheeky self on it." Freddie said. I smiled at him.

I think I rather like Freddie. He's much nicer and less, what was the word? Pratty?

"Well, you'll just have to find out now won't you?" I said slyly. Freddie smiled.

"Speaking of which, when exactly are trials? And where?" I asked turning to look at James.

"They'll be in two weeks and at the Quidditch pitch. I can show you where it is once we have a free period if you'd like. We could…get to know each other better." James said with a sly smile and a wiggle of his eyebrows. Freddie burst out in laughter along with Al and Scorpius. I sent him a death glare and the girls joined me.

"I'll pass." I said, rolling my eyes.

"You'll fall for my charms soon enough American." James said and high fived Freddie.

I ignored them.

Gits.

Ha! I didn't think of jerk first! I'm starting to blend!

"Don't hold your breath." I muttered.

"Can't help it if you steal my breath away." James replied.

Snort.

"Oh please, is that the best pick up line you have? I've heard better ones from the cows on my best friends' farm." I told him with an eye roll.

"Oh no no no American. I have plenty more. However, I cannot be expected to use all of my material in one sitting now can I?" James said with a smirk.

"Let me guess; I'll just have to wait and see?" I asked dryly. James nodded.

"Ignore him Paislee. He's an arrogant git." Dom said.

"You wound me cousin." James said, grabbing his chest and pretending to weep on Freddie's shoulder. Freddie patted his back.

"It's okay mate." Freddie said consolingly. James mock cried louder. I stifled a giggle. The scene was quite funny. Of course I was confused as to why Freddie had just called his cousin his mate.

Gross.

"Why did Freddie call James his mate?" I whispered to Dom. Dom started laughing hysterically.

"What's so funny Dom?" Rose asked. Everyone was now staring at Dom and my face was starting to heat up. James and Freddie noticed.

Insert sigh here.

"P-Paislee…hahaha…James and Freddie…mates…hahaha!" Dom said through fits of laughter. I scowled at her.

"Well I'm sure it has something to do with what the American said. So, out with it. Why's she laughing?" James asked, smirking at me.

He smirks a lot.

"I asked a question that she apparently found hilarious." I said, shooting Dom a death glare. She was still laughing uncontrollably.

"What did you ask?" Al questioned.

"I asked why did Freddie call James his mate." I replied.

Five seconds of silence and then…

An explosion of laughter.

Rose was leaning against Scorpius and Lily and Al were clutching their sides. Starlene was doubled over and so was Roxanne. James and Freddie looked slightly offended but were chuckling despite themselves.

People from the other tables were starting to stare.

"Mate is a term for friend. Barely anyone says friends round here. It's normally mate. And not as in like, life partner or anything." Al said, finally sobering up enough to talk.

Insert foot in mouth here.

Longest year of my life? I think yes.

"Oh. Ya'll have the craziest terms." I said.

"Says the American who says 'ya'll.'" James said. And the way he said ya'll was too stinking cute. Normally its said with a southern flair, but when James said it, it sounded like a proper word instead of a slang term.

I giggled.

James cocked his head to the side and looked at me.

"Do you find me amusing American?" James asked. I nodded. "And how do I amuse you?"

"You said ya'll." I said, stifling another giggle.

"Are you making fun of my accent?" James asked, a grin appearing on his face. A mischievous grin at that. I shook my head back and forth, a snort escaping my lips as everyone at the table attempted to say 'ya'll.' When Al tried it I lost my composure and started laughing out loud.

"P-please! St-stop! Ya'll are k-killing me!" I said through my laughter.

"I can't believe an American is making fun our accents. Trust me Pais; you're the odd one out in this part of the world." Freddie said with a grin.

I finally got a hold of myself and stopped laughing. Freddie had a point.

"I'm sorry. That was just too stinkin' cute." I said, smiling at all of them.

"As is your accent. I can't wait to see what the professors say once you start talking." James smirked. I scowled at him which only made him laugh.

"Well we'll find out soon enough! Class starts in ten minutes." Rose said pushing her plate away and gathering her books, with a look towards Al and Scorpius she started for the exit.

Al and Scorpius sighed.

"We better follow, otherwise she'll lecture us. See you lot later." Al said. Him and Scorpius followed after Rose. Lily mentioned something about meeting a friend of hers and left shortly after.

"Well, come on you lot. Let's get going. I know we all have the same classes and first up is DADA." Dom said.

"What's with the whole 'lot' thing?" I asked, grabbing my things and walking with Dom, Roxanne, Starlene, James, and Freddie.

Phew, I'm gonna need a nickname for my new group of friends.

"Lot is saying like, you know, everyone. It's another word for group." Starlene said happily, skipping slightly while all of us walked.

"Oh." I said lamely. I should've known that.

"It's alright. You'll get used to it soon enough!" Starlene said brightly, taking my arm and looping it with hers. I nodded dumbly and sighed.

"Who's the new DADA professor?" James asked. Everyone but me shrugged.

"New professor? What happened to the old one?" I asked. No one answered. Starlene and Dom started coughing while Freddie and Roxanne looked away as if they heard someone or something.

"Well…he sort of…left voluntarily." James said with a grim smile.

"Left voluntarily? You mean he quit?" I asked, confused by his answer.

Roxanne and Freddie snorted. They sounded so alike I almost couldn't tell the difference. I guess it's like twin sense or something.

"Well…he…erm…"James trailed off. Dom sighed.

"He ran away screaming like a lunatic." She said simply.

My turn to snort.

"Why?" I asked.

"Um…he had a rather rough year." Starlene said, everyone grimaced. Freddie and James kind of smirked.

"Why do I have the feeling that you two had something to do with it?" I asked as we started climbing a moving set of stairs. That's right. Moving! I'm all for magic showing off a bit but this was a bit much.

"Ouch Paislee. That hurts." Freddie said dramatically throwing his hands over his heart. James mimicked the motion.

"They had everything to do with it." Roxanne said, scowling at James and Freddie.

"His ears grew back!" James said defensively.

"His ears were gone?" I asked.

"James and Freddie slipped something in his drink at the end of last term. His ears fell off and he started hiccupping uncontrollably. When he heard his ears hit the floor he started screaming and then ran out of the classroom." Starlene said.

"You can't prove anything." James said. Freddie nodded and crossed his arms over his chest.

"No, but Aunt Ginny certainly made sure you wouldn't be able to sit for quite some time." Dom said slyly. James winced while Freddie laughed.

"I still don't think I'll ever be able to sit down properly." James said bringing a hand to rub himself. I laughed.

"Well I'm not sure who the new professor is but we're about to find out!" Starlene said happily as we entered a large and open classroom.

There were no chairs or desks or anything like I thought there would be. I had never been to a school of course but I thought there would be desks.

"I know I'm new to this whole school thing, but aren't there supposed to be desks?" I asked Starlene quietly. A group of people in yellow and black robes walked in, followed by a group in green and silver. I guess we were sharing this class with the Hufflepuff's and Slytherin's.

"Normally there are." Starlene replied. James and Freddie walked over to the other side of the room and dropped their bags on the floor and then sat down themselves. Starlene, Dom, Roxanne, and I followed their lead. The Hufflepuff's joined us a couple of seconds later but the Slytherin's stayed where they were.

I had read in Hogwarts, A History that the Slytherin house and Gryffindor house are kind of like enemies. Which explained why they stayed away from us.

All of a sudden there was an explosion in the front of the room. People screamed and I felt myself pressed against the floor with something heavy on top of me. It was James. He had his arms over my head. Soon the screams stopped and I looked up at James. He was still on top of me. My heart was beating erratically in my chest and I felt heat creep up to my face.

"I could get used to this." James said smirking. I rolled my eyes and pushed him off of me. Well, it was more like I pushed and he didn't budge. He was very…solid. I could only imagine how fit he was. He was the captain of Gryffindor's Quidditch team so I'm pretty sure he's ripped. The heat in my face grew. James laughed as he rolled off of me.

"What did you do?" Dom said as she stood up and shook off the dust from her clothes, or robes I should say.

Freddie and James looked at Dom and then at each other.

"Are you insinuating that we had something to do with this?" Freddie asked.

"That's exactly what I'm insinuating." Dom said putting her hands on her hips.

"We didn't do this!" James said, looking slightly offended.

"I don't believe you." Dom said.

"Seriously! We didn't do anything!" James insisted.

"James, Freddie, this has you two written alllllll over it." Starlene said smirking slightly.

"But we didn't do it!" Freddie cried. I was trying to keep myself from giggling but it wasn't working too well.

"He's right. They had nothing to do with it. For once." A voice said from behind. We all turned around and soon everyone was gasping.

"TEDDY!" James, Freddie, Dom, Roxanne, and Starlene all yelled. A few Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuff's yelled too. I was hopelessly confused. They all ran towards him and tackled him to the ground. I gasped and a few of the Slytherin's snickered. The rest of the class was laughing. I didn't really know what to do except watch. Teddy was struggling to get up as the Weasley/Potter clan and Starlene dog piled on him.

"Okay, okay! Geroff you lot!" Teddy chuckled good naturedly. They laughed as they got off of him.

"Why didn't you tell us Teddy?" Roxanne asked.

"Where's the fun in that? And it's Professor Lupin now." Teddy said with a smug smile. The rest of the class chuckled and the Slytherin's scoffed. I guess they really didn't like us.

"This is brilliant!" James said. The rest of them all nodded.

"Well I guess I should explain the explosion huh?" Teddy, I mean Professor Lupin, said. He gestured for us all to come to the corner of the room where this big cabinet was. It was shaking and then another huge explosion sound came from inside of it. I squeaked and everyone gasped as well.

"Is that a boggart?" I asked. Everyone turned to look at me. Everyone's eyes were wide as saucers and I felt the heat rush to my face.

I am such an idiot. Why in the world did I ask a question? Out loud at that! My plan was to speak as little as possible this year!

Insert face palm here.

"Why yes it is Ms…" Professor Lupin trailed off, waiting for me to supply my name. I swallowed hard.

"Paislee sir. Paislee Hayes." I replied. Rather quietly at that.

"Well Ms. Hayes, you are correct. This is indeed a boggart. I know you went over these in third year but I figured we'd start with something a bit on the fun side. You're going to be doing your N.E.W.T. exams this year and it'll be wicked hard so instead of stressing the importance of these exams and how it'll affect your future, and how they determine what you'll do for the rest of your life and if you fail them you'll practically fail at life…" He trailed off. The Weasley/Potter clan were sniggering while the rest of us had all gone pale. I personally could feel all the color drain from my face. Professor Lupin threw his head back and laughed.

"I'm kidding guys! Well, kinda. But seriously calm down. You'll all do fine, I just want something fun to kick off this term, especially since it'll be your last! Now, who wants to go first?" He asked. Everyone raised their hands and the room got rather noisy. I kept my hands firmly at their sides, unfortunately for me Professor Lupin locked eyes with me.

"How about you Ms. Hayes?"

Insert groan here.

"Uh…sure…why not?" I said as casually as I could. I walked up to the front of the class. Dom, Roxanne, and Starlene gave me reassuring smiles. James and Freddie sniggered. I threw them a death glare.

"Well Ms. Hayes, I take it you're new here?" Professor Lupin asked. I shook my head yes.

"Where are you from?" He asked.

"America." I replied. Professor Lupin chuckled.

"I gathered that. Where in America?" He asked.

"Brantley, Alabama. It's a small town about an hour away from Montgomery." I looked around and everyone was giving me strange looks. Of course they were, they had no idea what I was talking about.

"Of course ya'll wouldn't really know were Montgomery was but it's a major city in Alabama." I said.

James and Freddie grinned and I heard a few people snicker as I said the word 'ya'll.'

"I know where that is. I had to travel to America a few times during Auror training. Nice country, too hot though." Professor Lupin grinned at me. I smiled tentatively back.

"What brings you here to Hogwarts?" He asked.

"My Dad transferred to the Auror program here. I've been homeschooled most of my life, but Dad works a lot now and can't teach me anymore." I replied, feeling rather sad about it.

"Are you Jace Hayes' daughter?" He asked.

"Yes sir." I said smiling.

"Well, your father is quite the extraordinary wizard. I met him earlier this week and saw some of the work he did in America. Harry Potter was very lucky in finding him. I'm sure we'll see great things from you, having been taught by such a great wizard." Professor Lupin said. I blushed. James and Freddie snickered.

Gits.

Insert smile here.

Ya know, for remembering a British term.

Oh shut it.

"Alright then Ms. Hayes. You know the incantation and what to do I assume?" Professor Lupin asked.

"Yes sir. Wand at the ready, something funny, and then Riddikulus." I said.

"Here we go!" Professor Lupin said. He walked over to a record player and circus music started playing as he opened the door.

I breathed in deeply and tried to think of something funny as a doctor came out with a huge, and I mean huge syringe. I'm deathly afraid of needles. In Brantley I had broken my arm at Kerianna's house when we were 8 years old and instead of calling my parents they drove me to a muggle hospital. I kept insisting I would be okay if they would just take me home but they were having none of it. The doctors pricked and poked me with a dozen different needles as they assessed the damage and I screamed and cried and kicked but they ended up strapping me to the table. And now I have an unearthly fear of needles.

"Riddikulus!" I cried and the doctor turned into a monkey wearing a dress and the needle turned into a banana. The class started laughing.

"Well done Ms. Hayes! James, you're next!" Professor Lupin called. The girls smiled at me and hugged me while James high fived Freddie and walked up towards the front. He winked at me on his way up there and my stomach fluttered.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for a winker.

"Wand at the ready Mr. Potter." Professor Lupin said. James grinned.

"Sure thing…Professor." James said. Professor Lupin grinned.

James pulled his wand out and the monkey looked at James and started transforming. It spun in the air and finally turned into a Dementor. James blanched for one second before shouting, "Riddikulus!" The Dementor turned into Harry Potter wearing an apron and oven mitts. Everyone roared with laughter.

After everyone had had a turn with the boggart, Professor Lupin turned off the music and then faced the class.

"Well, how'd you like your first lesson?" He asked. Everyone applauded and he chuckled.

"Good! But, we will get serious for tomorrow's lesson. Now, I guess I should've properly introduced myself huh? I apologize. I got distracted by a couple of prats." Professor Lupin said eyeing the group I was standing with. They laughed and Professor Lupin smiled.

"I am Theodore Remus Lupin and I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor this term. I've been an Auror for five years now and have decided to pass my knowledge on to you lot. I consider myself to be fair and I am quite excited to teach for the first time. I will respect each and every single one of you as long as you respect me. Fail to do so and I will have no problem deducting House points as well as hand out detentions; no matter whose House you belong to. I want you to read chapter one in your textbooks and be prepared to participate in class discussions as well as volunteering to participate in the various activities like Ms. Hayes did today. Ten points to Gryffindor for Ms. Hayes' bravery at being the first to bare her soul."

The Gryffindor's started clapping and patted me on the back. I grinned up at all of them.

"Class dismissed! I look forward to see you all tomorrow morning bright and early!" Professor Lupin beamed at us and beckoned us to leave the class room.

I went to grab my things while the Weasley/Potter clan stayed behind and talked with Professor Lupin.

"I can't believe you're really our DADA Professor!" Dom squealed.

"This is going to be the best bloody year ever!" Freddie exclaimed, clapping Professor Lupin on the back.

"I was so nervous, could you tell?" He asked looking a bit shaken for the first time.

"No! You were bloody brilliant!" James said.

"Really?" Professor Lupin asked again.

"Of course! Would we lie to you?" Starlene asked. Professor gave her a look that said, 'Yes, yes you would.'

"I thought you did extremely well. Couldn't even guess it was your first day." I said. Professor Lupin looked down at me and smiled.

"Thanks for volunteering. It made it so much easier." He said looking relieved.

"Well, I didn't exactly volunteer, you kind of volunteered me." I said. Everyone laughed.

"True, but you could have said you'd rather not. I appreciate the courage. The Sorting Hat definitely placed you correctly." Professor Lupin said. I smiled at him.

"So what do you think of our new extremely attractive American student?" James asked. I groaned. Professor Lupin rolled his eyes.

"James, she's been here all of what? One day? And you're already hitting on her? You're worse than Uncle George was with Aunt Angelina." Professor Lupin said. Everyone laughed.

James slung an arm around me and grinned.

"Can't help it Ted. Plus, she's been all over me since we met on the train." James said smirking.

Insert jaw drop here.

"No I haven't! Ya'll are the ones who have been hounding me!" I cried incredulously.

"I love it when she says 'ya'll'" James said with a grin.

I snorted while everyone else laughed.

"You might want to be careful around this lot Paislee. You tend to get sucked in and once you do there is no hope in escaping." Professor Lupin said with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Oi!" The clan cried. I laughed.

"How did you get sucked into it?" I asked.

"Well, my parents died in the War and I lived with my Grandmother, my Mother's Mum, but I was raised by her and Harry and Ginny. Harry's my godfather." Professor Lupin explained.

"I'm sorry about your parents Professor Lupin." I said solemnly. He grinned at me.

"Please, call me Ted or Teddy. Of course not in class or in front of the other Professor's, but when it's just this lot Ted is fine." He said and I smiled back at him.

"That might be hard, but I'll try." I replied.

"Alright guys, you're going to be late for your next classes so go on. I'll see you all later on." Teddy said. We said our goodbyes and left for Potions. It was down in the dungeons apparently and since I had no idea where to go I followed the rest of them.

"Teddy's part of the family. He and my older sister Victorie are engaged and getting married next summer. You're invited of course." Dom said hooking my arm with hers. I smiled.

"I don't want to intrude." I said. Everyone scoffed.

"Oh please, I'm sure over half of the British wizarding population is going to be there once Grandma Weasley finishes the invitations." Roxanne said.

"Plus, I still need a date. What do you say American?" James asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. I snorted.

"Pass." I said.

"You'll concede soon enough American." James said while high fiving Freddie.

"Don't count on it." I replied.

"You're not the only who can be fiercely motivated." James said, his voice lowering a few octaves.

My breath caught in my throat and I felt a bit light headed.

He really is unbelievably good looking.

It is soooooooo not fair!

"I guess it's gonna be a battle of wills then. But let me warn you, I am unbelievably stubborn." I told him.

"And let me warn you, I always get what I want." James retorted.

"You're such a prat James! Leave her alone. She has better taste." Starlene said grabbing my other arm and marching ahead of James and Freddie. Roxanne followed us giggling.


	4. Chapter 4

The next couple of days passed in a blur. I loved DADA (I'm catching on to their little short cuts!), Herbology was great fun and I loved Professor Longbottom, he too was on great terms with the Weasley/Potter clan, Potions wasn't too bad but I was going to have study a bit harder in that class than all my others, Charms was amazing as was Professor Flitwick (finally someone I'm taller than!), Transfiguration was with Headmistress McGonagall and I know I'm going to have a hard time keeping up with all of her demands, History of Magic was going to bore me to death as was Professor Binns, and Muggle Studies wasn't that bad and it was most definitely going to be an easy A, or O as they grade, Professor Adamson was really nice and she tried oh so very hard to make it interesting with her enthusiasm but she kind of came across as a bit obsessed.

Finally it was the day of Quidditch tryouts. I had been practicing with Rose and Dom secretly. I didn't want James to have any kind of notion on my playing abilities. I'm not cocky, truly I'm not, but I'm a darn good Chaser.

Classes were over and Starlene, Dom, Roxanne, Rose, Lily and I were making our way down to the Quidditch pitch. There were around twenty other people trying out. Lily was the other Chaser on the team and the team was missing a Beater and another Chaser. Plus I knew that there were a few available spots for the Reserve team. I really wanted first string.

I pulled my short hair into a small ponytail and was in a pair of yoga capris and a spaghetti strap shirt with a sports bra underneath. I wanted to be as flexible as possible for my tryout. Dom, Roxanne, Rose, and Starlene wished me luck and sat down in the stands. I took a deep breath and walked over to the crowd of people. James was standing in the middle of the pitch with Lily, Freddie, Al, and Scorpius. There were four other people standing behind him that could only be a part of the Reserve team.

"OI! Quiet down you lot!" James shouted and silence fell. "Alright, now you know we're trying out for one Beater and one Chaser position for first string. Those two positions are also open for Reserve as well as a Seeker position. You'll be working with the other team members as well as with fellow prospectee's."

Prospectee's? Is that even a word?

"Chaser position is up first! Chaser's to the right, everyone else sit on the left!" James yelled.

I followed three other people towards the right. Two huge boys that were twice as tall and at least four times as muscular as me and then a scrawny looking kid who was slightly smaller than I was.

"Names." James demanded.

"Cayden Jones." The huge boy with brown hair said.

"Neal Smithson." Said the huge boy with the blonde hair.

"Paxton Lawson." The scrawny kid said.

"Paislee Hayes." I said. All eyes turned to me as I spoke and I hear murmurs of 'That's that American transfer student.'

I rolled my eyes.

"Alright we'll start with Smithson, then move on to Lawson, Jones, and finally Hayes. I'll announce the winner of the spot once you all have tried out. You're up Smithson."

The rest of us watched intensely as Smithson did different passes to Lily and James and tried to make goals pass Scorpius.

He wasn't doing too well.

Scorpius was a beast! He blocked every single quaffle. Smithson also seemed to be a bit of a ball hog, he rarely passed it back and almost got himself hit in the head by a bludger sent by Freddie. Chaser's had to be very careful of that.

Lawson was up next and his try out was even worse than Smithson's. Lawson was in the air for two seconds and then promptly passed out, falling fifty feet off of his broom. I whipped out my wand and slowed his fall down until he was hovering over the grass. A few students went and took him to the hospital wing. Poor thing was only a second year. Way in over his head.

Jones did fairly well. He was my only competition so far. He scored one goal and that was a technicality. Scorpius was saying something to James as James casually tossed the quaffle in the air Jones grabbed it and threw it into one of the goal posts. He threw a big enough fit about it that James finally conceded and said that it counted. Scorpius then threw out a fair amount of swear words and rude gestures that had me blushing slightly.

And then it was my turn.

"Hayes, you're up!" James shouted. I mounted my broom, a Firebolt 2.0, the latest in the line. It was a Christmas present from my Mom's mother. I love my Grandma Hadley.

I mounted my broom and kicked up into the air. James gave me a wink and I head to steady myself. Lily gave me a thumbs up and Freddie mouthed 'Good luck' I smiled. I had really good friends all ready. I wiped the smile off of my face and put on what my Dad called my 'Grr face.'

Bring it.

James tossed me the quaffle and I zoomed past him and Lily towards Scorpius. While I was watching the others I noticed that Scorpius favors the left side. I zoomed up to the highest post and then veered to the right post and pitched the quaffle as hard and as fast as I could.

Score!

Scorpius missed and then looked unbelievably at me. I smirked as I turned to go back towards James to get my next quaffle. James and Lily's jaws were dropped and Freddie looked as if he got hit in the head with a bludger. Al was smiling down at me. Lily passed me the next quaffle and we passed it back forth along with James. I never faltered with the quaffle. I passed to them flawlessly and dodged the bludger's that Freddie hit towards me. I scored two more goals and Scorpius blocked the other two. Dom, Starlene, Rose, and Roxanne were all cheering. Lily was trying to keep her composure but I could tell she was happy for me. My feet touched the ground and I went and group hugged my cheerleaders.

"You were absolutely brilliant!" Dom cried.

"I've never seen Scorpius miss that many goals. He's gonna be so torn." Rose said with a giggle.

"Torn?" I asked.

"He'll be happy you made the team, but mad at himself for allowing so many goals." Rose said.

I laughed.

"You're definitely going to make first string." Starlene said and Roxanne nodded.

"Well I don't wanna count my chickens before they hatch." I said. They looked quizzically at me.

"It's a southern expression. I just don't wanna say I'm on the team and then have one of the Reservists beat me." I replied.

They laughed.

"You have the oddest expressions." Roxanne said.

We all giggled as we walked to the stands.

The rest of the tryouts went well and after two hours they finally ended. I played with a few of the Reservist's as well as with the other two Chaser's that tried out with me. I felt really good about the tryout but I was still a nervous wreck as I walked towards James and the rest of the team.

"Alright! Great job everyone! Thank you to all who came out but of course I only have two first string positions open and three Reservist's positions. I'll call out the Reservist's positions first. Chaser is Cayden Jones. Seeker is Patrick Malone. Beater is Heathcliff Greene." We all applauded as they made their way over towards the other Reservist's team members. Jones looked rather sour.

"And now the first stringer's! Beater is Delton Talford. Chaser is Paislee Hayes." I released a huge breath that I had no idea I was even holding.

I made the team!

I suppressed the urge to squeal and made my way over to Lily and Al. Lily hugged me and Al gave me a thumb's up.

"That's my final word. No complaints and don't even think about coming up to me at any time to complain because I won't be changing my mind and unless you want to be hexed to oblivion leave me and the other team members alone. Got it? Brilliant. Now go on, I've got to talk to my new team." James said as he turned towards us. There was a few grumbles as the rest of the 'Prospectee's' left.

"Practice tomorrow at 6:30 in the morning." James said. There was an immediate uproar.

"What? But term just started!" Lily cried.

"Are you mental?" Scorpius cried out as well.

"Mate, seriously? 6:30?" Freddie asked.

"Are you sure we're related?" Al asked.

I kept quiet. I just made the team; I didn't want to be kicked off.

"I have a lot of great ideas and since this is my last year I want to end it with the Quidditch Cup in Nevi…er…Professor Longbottom's office. So we will start bright and early tomorrow. Get a good night's sleep and load up on carbs. James Sirius Potter's boot camp starts tomorrow." James said with an evil grin and walked away.

Insert groan here.

"He is such a git." Al said darkly.

"Worse than last year and last year was pretty bloody awful." Lily said.

"Bloody mental is what he is." Scorpius said.

So the team, except for me and Delton, complained all the way to the Gryffindor common room. On our way up there I found out Delton was a sixth year and actually dormed with Al and Scorpius. We ate dinner after doing our homework and then trudged back up to our dorm. Roxanne, Starlene, and Dom stayed up giggling and gossiping while I pulled the curtains around my bed and tried to go to sleep.

What seemed like two minutes later my alarm went off and I promptly ignored it by pulling my pillow over my face. It kept going on and I finally turned it off when Dom threatened to levitate me in my P.J.'s around the Great Hall. It was 5:30 in the morning and I wanted to die. I showered and pulled on a light grey pair of yoga pants, a bright pink sports bra and put a black tank top over it. I slipped on my sneakers, or trainers I should say (weirdo Brits), grabbed my broom and made my way towards the Quidditch pitch.

Lily was met me in the common room and we trudged towards the pitch. James was already there along with Freddie and Delton.

"Morning ladies!" James said brightly. Freddie was lying on the ground, snoring slightly and Delton was leaning on his broom with his eyes half open.

"Shut it you prat." Lily growled.

"Oh come on Lils! It's a crisp morning with the sun shining! Perfect Quidditch conditions." James said.

We all groaned. After another two minutes Al and Scorpius finally made their way towards us.

"Great! Now that we're all here let's get started. Today is going to be conditioning only. We'll start with ten laps around the pitch, then twenty five sit ups, twenty five pushups, and twenty five jumping jacks. That will be our cycle. Laps, sit ups, pushups, jumping jacks and then back to laps."

"How long do we have to do that?" Al asked.

"Well it's almost 6:30 now and classes start at 9:45 so I'd say…till 8:30." James replied.

"TWO HOURS?" Al, Lily, Scorpius, and Delton cried at the same time.

"Are you trying to murder us?" Freddie asked.

"No I'm trying to whip you into shape. Now let's get started!" James said. He conjured a whistle and blew it. We groaned as we dropped our broomsticks on the ground and started running.

After the second cycle I was sweating like a pig. I was so stinkin' hot and it had only been half an hour. I looked around and saw everyone else was drenched in sweat too.

And that's when things got…fleshy.

We were running our fifth lap on our third cycle.

"Bugger this." Freddie said angrily and ripped his shirt off. He tossed it to the side and soon Al and Scorpius followed. Shortly after them Delton and James took off their shirts as well.

Insert whimper here.

Not. Fair.

They were all freakin' gorgeous!

Al, Scorpius, Delton, and Freddie were all so…fit. Their muscles bulging as they ran. Each one of them had great abs and great arms that looked fantastic.

James was most definitely the hottest of them all. He was so cut. His chest was sculpted perfect and the man had a 6 pack. His already messy hair was damp and was curling ever so slightly, hanging in his face.

Sooooooo…..yummy…..*drools*

"American! Watch it there, you almost ran into Al!" James yelled to me. I jerked out of my stupor and mumbled sorry to Al as I passed him. I made my way to Lily.

"This just isn't fair." I panted to her.

"What?" She asked.

"They're shirtless!" I hissed. Lily laughed.

"Scorpius and Delton are most certainly yummy." Lily said.

"You're getting off easy since you're related to the rest of them." I grumbled. Lily laughed again.

"You'll get used to it." She replied.

"How can you get used to that?" I asked gesturing to the gaggle of gorgeous guys.

Ha. Say that five times fast!

"I'm so hot." I complained and decided to take off my tank top in mid run. I threw it where all the boys threw their shirts and I continued my laps. I kept my eyes on the ground as I ran, trying to concentrate on finishing the last three laps around the pitch and then it was just pushups, sit ups, and jumping jacks and practice was over. I was on the last lap when I heard lots of 'Ow's' being shouted. I stopped mid run and looked around.

All of the boys were in a heap on the ground. Lily tripped over Freddie's foot and fell to the ground beside them.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you gits?" Lily asked as she stepped all over the boys to stand up.

"Ouch! Watch it Lils!" James complained. I ran over to them and helped Lily untangle herself from the limbs of all the guys.

"What happened? Why are ya'll on the ground?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

Al was the first to emerge, followed by Scorpius and Delton. Freddie stayed on the ground, as did James.

"Tripped." Al said, bringing a hand to rub the back of his neck and avoiding my eyes.

Weird.

"Tripped? Over what? There aren't any bumps on the ground or anything." I said gesturing to the perfectly symmetrical pitch.

"Clumsy." Al said again. I rolled my eyes and watched Lily help Freddie to his feet. I walked over to James and bent over to lend him my hand.

"Need some help?" I asked. He put his hands behind his head and just grinned. I furrowed my brow at him.

"Well?" I said, giving my hand a small shake in order to make him hurry up and take it. I couldn't just stay bent over like that.

"I quite like the view from down here." James said with a smirk. I cocked my head to the side in a silent question for him to explain when I looked down and saw that my sports bra was showing quite a bit of cleavage.

Insert embarrassing groan/scream here.

I quickly crossed my arm across my chest and rolled my eyes as I stood up straight.

"You are such a perv!" I cried out.

"Is that why you prats fell? Because you were staring at Paislee?" Lily asked, disgust written all over her face. James stood up and knuckle punched Freddie. Delton half smiled while Scorpius and Al looked sheepish.

"Can't help it. She's bloody gorgeous." Freddie said.

I blushed.

I never really thought of myself as 'bloody gorgeous.' I mean I didn't think I was ugly but I never really got any attention from the boys in Brantley. I was too much of a freak and boys normally stayed away from me. I'm not cocky or anything but…the attention was kinda nice.

Maybe I should torment them a bit since they tormented me all stinkin' practice.

"You guys are pathetic. Show some skin and you guys freak out!" Lily said as she took off her tank top and was only in her sports bra as well.

James, Al, and Freddie all shielded their eyes. Scorpius and Delton both let out a low whistle as they looked at Lily.

"Watch it Scor." Al said threateningly. James and Freddie both punched Delton in the arm.

"Ouch." Delton mumbled as he rubbed his arm. I laughed. I put my hands on my hips and cocked them to the side.

"Ya'll are too cute." I said. "But it's like 5 minutes till 8:30 and I'm gonna head to the showers."

"I agree Paislee. Let's go shower." James said walking towards me.

"You are insufferable!" I cried. James winked at me.

"Alright gents, and ladies, great practice! We'll start again tomorrow, same time same place. Might even get a few scrimmages going." James said brightly. We all groaned. My body was so sore. I couldn't even imagine doing that again.

"But Lils, please. For the love of all that is holy, put on a real shirt." James begged as we made our way to the locker rooms.

"I will when you guys put on your shirts." Lily said. "It's totally sexist that you can have your shirts off but the moment I'm even remotely close to being in a bathing suit type of fashion you freak out on me."

"Oi! I don't want my little sister parading around in her bra!" James said indignantly. "Help me out here Al!"

"He's right Lily. We practically had to tie Delton and Scorpius down." Al replied. I snorted. All they did was whistle. And who can blame em? Lily was gorgeous.

"That's so not true!" Scorpius cried, and Delton nodded his head in agreement.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter. I'm a big girl and I can do what I want. And this is a sports bra. My bikini at home shows more skin than this." Lily replied heatedly.

I was beginning to get the impression that Lily has a temper.

"I will write Dad." James warned.

"I will too." Al said.

"Go ahead! I'm sure Mum would love to hear that her two sons are being the most sexists gits on the face of the planet!" Lily said stopping in her tracks. James and Al stopped too, standing right in front of their sister. The rest of us took several steps backwards.

"Mum will agree with us!" Al insisted.

Lily scoffed.

"Hardly! I know for a fact that when Dad was captain that he allowed the girls to practice in their sports bras! There's a picture of the team during one of the practices and Mum's wearing one!" Lily argued.

"So? Dad doesn't have any sisters does he? And I'm sure if he did he wouldn't have allowed them to run around in their knickers!" James said heatedly.

"I am not in my knickers!" Lily shrieked.

"Close enough!" Al growled, sneaking a glance towards Delton and Scorpius. Both of them moved behind Freddie and me.

"Why aren't you giving Paislee any grief? She was the first one to shed her tank top!" Lily shouted pointing towards me.

"She's not our sister!" Al said.

"Oh so as long as you get to ogle her goodies you're okay with it? You are such filthy hypocrites! I don't want to hear another word about what I choose to wear or not to wear at practices. If you do I'll tell Mum exactly who it was that broke into Dad's liquor cabinet last Christmas." Lily threatened.

James and Al narrowed their eyes.

"You wouldn't." James said, his voice dropping low.

"Try me." Lily said menacingly. And with that she turned around and stormed off the pitch.

"She's a bit scary." I said.

"Mental, that one is." Freddie commented.

"You don't live with her." Al grumbled.

"Thank Merlin." Freddie laughed. "Well, let's go. Don't want to be late for breakfast! I feel like I could eat a hippogriff after that hell of a practice."

"You'll be thanking me once we win the cup." James said, a smirk playing on his lips. The anger from his little family spat seemed to vanish.

"That's likely." Scorpius said sarcastically.

We made our way to the common room and separated to our dorms. I thought about stopping by the fifth year dorms to make sure Lily was okay but I was in desperate need of a shower so I decided to talk to her during breakfast. I slowly climbed the stairs to the seventh year dorms. Each step hurt and it was a slow process. Once I finally made it I quickly showered and dressed for class. Starlene, Roxanne, and Dom must've already gone down for breakfast because the room was empty when I got there. I made my way down to the Great Hall and found my dorm mates.

"Hi." I yawned and started piling food onto my plate.

"You look exhausted." Dom said.

"Thanks to your idiot of a cousin." I grumbled, shoving a piece of toast into my mouth.

"I take it practice went well?" Rose asked as she sat down next to us.

"Practice went bloody fantastic." James said with him and Freddie sitting down next to me. I groaned.

"Really?" I asked incredulously.

"Well considering you all can't walk without groaning in pain, I'd say I did my job." James replied with a smile. I rolled my eyes.

"James, you might not want to kill your players on the first day of practice." A boy interjected. I looked up and saw a tall and gangly looking boy with red hair.

Must be a Weasley.

"I'm not killing them. I'm simply maiming them. There's a difference." James replied.

"Hey Hugo." Dom said.

"Hey." He replied.

They all started talking about Quidditch while Rose ignored them all, reading one of her text books. All of a sudden Starlene spoke.

"Oh gosh! Hugo! You haven't met Paislee yet have you?"

"Uh…no I guess not. Should I have?" Hugo asked.

"Well she's been hanging out with us lately and since you were late to term I guess not." Rose quipped.

"Hi. I'm Paislee Hayes. It's nice to meet you." I said, Hugo stuck out his hand and shook mine.

"I'm Hugo Weasley. Rose is my sister." He replied.

"Big sister." Rose said slyly. Hugo rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Rose is older by a year. But I'm still taller." Hugo said, sticking his tongue out at Rose. Rose returned the favor.

"Why were you late to term?" I asked.

"I'm part of a family with a bunch of tossers." Hugo said, throwing a dirty look towards James and Freddie.

Tossers?

"Tossers?" I asked.

"It means idiot. It's a lot like prat and git." Dom said, not even looking up from her plate. I guess she's already used to having to explain things for me.

I love her.

"What happened?" I asked Hugo. James and Freddie started making 'don't talk' motions with their hands. Hugo threw them another dirty look and turned towards me.

"I had to wait until my eyebrows grew back and my hand went back to normal size. Took about a fortnight. James and Freddie put a hair loss potion on my eyebrows that they brewed themselves. Put too much of the lacewing fly in it so they couldn't be magically replaced." He said darkly. James and Freddie were shaking with silent laughter now.

"What about your hand?" I asked. It looked perfectly normal in size to me.

"Oh well, I had an allergic reaction to the potion as well, some of it spilt on my hand when they were putting it on my eyebrows. It swelled and I had to go to St. Mungo's in order to have the swelling stop. Thanks for that by the way." Hugo said darkly to James and Freddie.

"Sorry bout that mate." Freddie choked out through his laughter.

"Blimey I didn't know you got sent to St. Mungo's!" James said a scared expression on his face.

"Went in beginning of last week and got out yesterday. Don't worry I haven't revealed what really happened. Both of your arses are safe…for now." Hugo said slyly.

James and Freddie both released a breath.

"Thanks mate. We were plastered when we made that potion. Plus we didn't know you were allergic to anything. The prank kind of went into shambles." James said.

"One prank this year. One prank and I'll owl Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry as well as Aunt Angelina." Hugo warned.

"Don't worry. You have our word no pranks on you this year. However if you could at least keep it on the down low we'd appreciate it. Can't have people thinking we're showing favoritism. They'll start to get suspicious." Freddie said.

"As long as I'm not a part of whatever it is you're doing, I'll keep my mouth shut." Hugo said.

"Wait a minute, what about Freddie's Dad?" I asked.

"What about him?" Hugo asked.

"Well you didn't mention telling him, just telling Freddie's Mom. Why not threaten him with his Dad as well?"

Everyone started laughing.

"Uncle George would probably just high-five the two wankers that's why." Dom said.

"Dad is regularly pranking everyone in the family. Including us. Mum doesn't always find it very funny." Roxanne said.

"Where do you think we got our inspiration?" Freddie asked.

"I think I'm a bit worried to go to ya'lls house." I said.

"Don't be. It's a right laugh." James said.

"Not all the time. Only when certain cousins don't act like total tosser's." Hugo said, but he had a smile on his face.

"Oh Hugo, you love us. Don't deny it." Freddie said and slung his arm around his cousin's shoulders. Hugo laughed and shrugged him off.

"Sod off." Hugo said.

"Sod off?" I asked.

"It means piss off." Dom said. I smiled gratefully at her.

How many sayings did these Brits have?

"She doesn't know what sod off means?" Hugo asked.

"Hughie, she's an American. She doesn't know anything." James said.

"Oi!" I cried.

Everyone started laughing. I even smiled a bit.

"You're getting the hang of it. I'd be gutted if you didn't catch on quickly." James replied. I scowled at him. He should know I have no idea what he means by gutted. But before I could ask Rose spoke.

"Gutted means upset or devastated. Alright, time for our real lessons. Scorpius, Al, let's go. I'll see you later Hugo." And with that Rose got up and started walking out of the Great Hall. Scorpius and Al groaned.

"I swear she's going to be the death of us." Al muttered angrily and the duo waved goodbye and followed after Rose.

"I'm going to go ahead and head to class as well. I need to have all the Professor's read and sign my Healer note. See you lot later." Hugo said following Al, Rose, and Scorpius.

"Where's Lily? I haven't seen her yet." Roxanne asked.

"Probably still a bit upset." I muttered. James threw me a look.

"What? She probably is. I would've been if it had been me." I said.

"What did you guys row about this time?" Dom asked sounding slightly bored.

"She was practicing in her knickers!" James said incredulously.

Dom raised an eyebrow at me and I rolled my eyes.

"She was in a sports bra." I told her. Dom chuckled and then gathered her things.

"I'm sure she was. You blokes practice without shirts, sports bras aren't nearly bad as being shirtless. It's time to leave for class though so we should leave. I don't think Teddy will appreciate his own family being late for class." Dom said. James looked as if he was going to argue but a look from Starlene made him silent.


	5. Chapter 5

The first two weeks of classes flew by. Professor Lupin was in full N.E.W.T mode now and so were all of the other Professor's. I felt as if my head was going to explode. It was 10:30 at night and Dom, Roxanne, Starlene and I were in the Gryffindor common room trying to finish our Potions essay. Professor Bardon set two entire rolls of parchment (they don't use paper…) on the uses of lacewing fly. I was almost done with mine when I heard laughter. I looked up and saw James and Freddie leaning on one another, holding their stomachs with laughter. I burrowed my brow in confusion but then saw a bunch of first years throwing up into the plants.

"What're they doing?" I asked.

Roxanne looked up and let out a shriek.

"What do you two think you're doing?" She shrieked.

James and Freddie hid something behind their backs and said, "Nothing," at the same time.

"Nothing? It sure doesn't look like nothing. I'm a prefect and I won't allow you two to do this. Family or not, this is going too far! You can't test those on anyone, especially on first years!" Roxanne shrieked. Rose looked up from the corner of the room and narrowed her eyes at the two boys then walked over to Roxanne.

"She's right. I'm a prefect too and-" Rose was cut off by Freddie.

"Oi! We're family and family look out for one another!" Freddie cried.

"He's right! And we're not testing them out on first years; we're testing them on fourth years." James replied.

"I don't care if you are testing them out on Blast-ended Skrewts! It ends now!" Roxanne said fiercely.

"And family or no family you are breaking some major rules. Test those on yourselves, not on anyone else or we're going straight to McGonagall. Understood?" Rose said firmly. Freddie and James narrowed their eyes at them and then handed over what looked like hard candy. I furrowed my brow in confusion and looked at Dom. She rolled her eyes and then leaned in towards me.

"Mum and Dad once told me that Uncle George and Uncle Fred once tested their Skiving Snackboxes on Hogwarts students. Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione were prefects as well and had to stop them. Aunt Hermione apparently threatened to tell Grandma Weasley and that put a stop to it. I'm sure Roxanne and Rose will threaten that the next time." Dom told me.

I laughed at that.

"So do they have their own version of Skiving Snackboxes?" I asked.

"They say they do. I wouldn't put it past them. As annoying as they normally are they're bloody brilliant." Dom said.

"I'm sure Mr. Weasley is helping them as well." I commented with a sly smile. Dom grinned back.

"I certainly wouldn't put it past Uncle George."

We both laughed and then I turned back to my paper. I finished it after another twenty minutes of writing and then bid everyone goodnight. Tomorrow was our first Quidditch match of the season and it was against Slytherin.

There's been a lot of smack talk going on too. I already got tons of dirty looks from some of the other students, specifically the Slytherin's. I guess being American is just as bad as being Muggle born. Which of course is stupid beyond all reason but it didn't bother me too much. I'm used to being thought of as a freak. However, it bothered my new friends a lot, especially Dom and James. It hadn't really gotten out of hand until three days ago. I've never really interacted with other kids my age before and haven't ever really been in competition with kids my age either; I only hung out with three other girls so I was shocked when I was violently pushed up against a wall by some dude I'd never met before.

"Watch yourself American. Quidditch is a tough game. Wouldn't want your pretty face to get messed up." The kid said as he ran a finger down my face. After the shock wore off I pushed against him, hard; making him stumble back and I reached for my wand. Pointing it right in his face.

"Touch me again and this pretty face will be the last thing you see." I said darkly. He made a grab for his wand but stopped once we heard footsteps running towards us.

"Count your blessings American; they may have just saved your skin." The Slytherin said as he turned and ran down the opposite end of the hallway. I saw James and Freddie sprinting towards me. I was about to wave when James pushed me, very gently unlike Slytherin Suck Face; he grabbed my chin and started inspecting my face.

"James, I'm fine okay? He was just a sleaze bag trying to get me to be afraid of the Quidditch match." I said, releasing my chin from his grasp. James didn't say anything to me. He turned his head and looked as if he was about to chase after the Slytherin. Freddie put a hand on his shoulder, stilling him.

"Let it go mate." Freddie said.

James was shaking with anger.

"James, seriously, I'm A-Okay! I would've made him eat his words, literally I was going to summon a book and shove it down his throat, but you guys came and scared him away. So really I should be ticked off at ya'll." I put emphasis on the 'ya'll' part and Freddie snickered while I saw James struggle to keep his smile at bay. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly and then he looked down at me. I grinned goofily at him and he chuckled.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked.

"Yes I'm fine. Ya'll worry too much." I said and turned around and started walking towards the common room.

That was three days ago. I still had a bruise on the back of my neck. I have short hair and I noticed two days ago as I got out of the shower. It stretches from shoulder to shoulder. Of course I didn't tell James or Freddie this. I told Dom though. She was furious, but promised not to say anything. I wasn't going to be intimidated and I didn't want the rest of the gang to worry over nothing.

Sleep didn't come easy of course. I tossed and turned all night and had horrible nightmares of not being able to say anything except for 'ya'll' and losing the match because the Quaffle kept turning into a giant needle.

Insert sigh here.

So of course when the alarm went off at 7:30 I was exceptionally tired/nervous. Starlene made a big fuss about eating a good breakfast and she even tried to put make up on me. I grabbed her hands as she leaned dangerously close to my face with eyeliner.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked her.

"Just because you're playing a sport doesn't mean you have to look like a bloke!" Starlene argued.

"Are you coo-coo bananas? I'm not wearing eyeliner to a Quidditch match! I get all hot and sweaty and by the end of the match I'll look like a raccoon!" I told her.

"Oh please. You're overreacting." Starlene said. I looked to Dom for help but she was too busy putting on her own make up to notice me.

"Dom!" I whined. She looked up and grinned.

"I agree with Starlene. Besides, Lily wears make up to the games. Who knows? Maybe your gorgeousness will make some of the Slytherin's drop the Quaffle or lose the Snitch." Dom said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"You two are impossible! I don't wear make-up. Quidditch game or not!" I said firmly. Roxanne came out of the bathroom then and laughed at us. Dom and Starlene looked at one another and smiled evilly before turning to look at me. My eyes widened and I made a break for the door.

I didn't make it.

Dom tackled me from the side as Starlene grabbed my legs.

"No!" I yelled as they pinned me to the floor. Starlene straddled me and pinned my arms with her knees and held my head still as Dom grabbed the eyeliner.

"Guys! Let me up!" I yelled as I struggled against Starlene's tight hold. How in the world is this chick so stinkin' strong?

"Nope!" Dom chirped cheerfully as she held my eyes open and started applying the eyeliner.

"ROXANNE! HELP!" I shouted. Roxanne just laughed and walked out the door. I was squirming and struggling but it was no use and finally Dom and Starlene got off of me. I scrambled to my feet and was about to wipe the make-up off when I felt it. I widened my eyes at Starlene and looked down at the wand in her hand as I felt a thousand fingers dig into my skin, tickling me. Stupid whore had mastered non-verbal spells already.

I hate her.

I grabbed my sides and started laughing.

"S-stop! P-please!" I shouted as I slid down the wall, knees weak.

"Are you going to wipe away the eyeliner?" Starlene asked as Dom sat there and laughed at me.

Jerk.

I mean Git!

"N-no!" I yelled as a fresh wave of giggles hit me. It was as if the stupid spell knew all my weak spots as it was honing in on my ribs and hip bones.

"Good, because if you do I'll use this on you. And I don't care where you're at." Starlene said. I nodded and laughed some more. Finally the tickling stopped and I laid on the floor gasping for breath. Dom and Starlene laughed some more and I scowled at them.

"I hate you both." I said refusing the hand Dom held out for me. I got to my feet and brushed my fingers through my hair and then pulled it into two short ponytails. I grabbed my gloves and pulled on my shoes. Then looked in the mirror. I scowled at the reflection. The eyeliner was dark and thick on the bottom and top of my eyes. It went well with the red and gold of my Quidditch uniform though. I groaned loudly and stomped my feet all the way to the Great Hall. Dom and Starlene were still giggling behind me but sobered up quickly once I shot them a death glare when we entered the Great Hall.

I saw the rest of the team sitting down and we joined them. Roxanne was eating breakfast at the Ravenclaw table this morning sitting down next to a really cute guy. I could tell by the scowl on Freddie's face that he wasn't entirely happy about it.

"Is the Roxanne's boyfriend?" I asked. Starlene grinned widely and nodded.

"Right foul git, he is." Freddie said darkly not even looking at us. His eyes were glued on his twin sister and the 'right foul git.'

"Ashton is a perfectly nice bloke. She could do worse Freddie." Rose said. I looked up and saw her reading some textbook. Now as much of a bookworm as I was I didn't read textbooks for fun. I liked fiction.

Freddie mumbled something about 'wanker' and 'knob head.' Then he looked up as James spoke.

"Oi! Listen up you lot! Today's our first match so I want you to eat a good breakfast! We'll leave as a team and walk to the pitch as a team okay? Tuck in!" James started piling his plate with toast and eggs.

I didn't have much of an appetite so I nibbled on a muffin and took a long deep swig of some pumpkin juice.

Delton looked ready to pass out and I saw Lily place a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it lightly. I smirked.

Lily liked Delton.

AWE!

Dom nudged me in the ribs and I saw James staring at me. I immediately started looking for crumbs on my uniform or something but I didn't find anything. James got up and walked down to where Dom, Starlene and I sat. He nudged Dom and pushed her over so that they were sharing a seat.

"What's with the eye stuff American?" James asked. I blushed deeply and threw a death glare towards Starlene and Dom.

"I was ambushed." I said darkly. Starlene laughed and twirled her wand in between her fingers.

"And don't forget what happens if you try to remove it."

I stuck my tongue out at her and she wriggled her fingers at me, making me flinch. James threw his head back and laughed.

"I have a feeling I missed a very interesting morning." James replied. I scowled at him and ignored their laughter. I finished my muffin just as the rest of the team finished breakfast. We walked out of the Great Hall together and down to the pitch. We gathered our brooms and went into the changing rooms. Since there were more guys than girls we congregated in the boys changing room. James stood up on one of the benches and addressed us.

"Alright team. Now, we've been practicing harder than ever before and I know we've got what it takes to go all the way this year. Our scrimmages have been going great and our new team members fit in nicely. Now Beaters, be sure to protect Al as much as possible, allow him to get hit and I'll personally shove a Blast-Ended Skrewt down your pants. Chasers, it's our job to score as much as possible because even though the Snitch ends the game if we've got enough points we could still win and I expect all of us to make at least ten goals apiece. Don't score and I'll hex you to oblivion. Keeper, let one Quaffle in and I'll kill you. Al, lose the snitch to McMurphy and I'll make sure Dad disinherits you. Everyone got it?" James ended his little 'pep talk.'

"Blimey mate, we're gonna win. No need to get violent." Freddie said. James shot him a look which made him close his mouth.

"We can do this team. Let's go and show em' what Gryffindor's are made of!" James said enthusiastically. We all cheered and made our way to the middle of the pitch.

My heart was pounding.

I was so nervous. I had never played in a competition before and although I'm good, I'm sure there're people just as good as me out there. Scorpius took his place in front of the goal posts and Al kicked off into the air and was hovering right above us. Freddie and Delton took their places and James winked at me before kicking off into the air himself. Lily smiled reassuringly and motioned for us to do the same. James and the Slytherin captain were told to shake hands by Madam Hooch but neither one of them did. The Slytherin sneered and James narrowed his eyes. I could see Madam Hooch resisting to roll her eyes as she threw the Quaffle high into the air and before the Slytherin captain could even blink James grabbed it and zoomed towards their goals.

I followed closely seeing their Keeper zooming back and forth from each goal. He looked a bit shaky on his right side. I smiled.

"James, pass!" I shouted and he threw the Quaffle to me. I snagged it easily and threw it on the right side of the bottom right post.

"Score one for Gryffindor! Ten to zero!" I heard Roxanne say. I looked towards the stand and saw that Roxanne was commentating. She gave me a thumbs up and I grinned at her. I scored another five goals and Lily scored two while James scored seven. The Slytherin team had us by forty points though and Al still hadn't secured the Snitch yet. The Slytherin's were all cheating. Smacking Bludgers towards Scorpius and then towards Al. Delton and Freddie were running themselves ragged trying to protect Scorpius and Al. All of a sudden Al nose-dived. I heard the Slytherin captain scream something to his Beaters and then a Bludger was heading straight for Al. Freddie and Delton zoomed towards him to block it. Al was reaching his hand out and was trying to grasp the Snitch when the Slytherin Seeker, McMurphy that creepy creepster who pushed me up against the wall, was zooming straight towards, not the Snitch but Al.

Holy green guacamole he was going to slam right into Al!

I wasn't about to let that happen and so I zoomed right over to McMurphy.

"Paislee no!" I heard James shout but I ignored him. I pitched the Quaffle over McMurphy's head to Lily, making the Quaffle graze McMurphy's head. He lost his concentration and lost his grip on his broom from the brief contact. Lily scored as McMurphy struggled to keep his hold on his broom. I laughed and he sent me a menacing look.

"You'll pay for that American whore!" He shouted at me. I snorted.

"Oh please. Is that the best you can come up with? American whore? Please be more original the next time you insult me." I told him.

He flipped me off before smirking. I turned my head and saw that Al no longer had the Snitch in his line of sight. I groaned and made my way back to where Lily and James were.

"Al! Find that Snitch!" James shouted at him.

"I'm trying James!" Al shouted back. James racked a hand through his hair and Al flew higher, searching for the Snitch again. James threw me a dirty look and jerked his thumb up, motioning me to get back in the game. I flew higher just as Lily grabbed the Quaffle again. I saw McMurphy hurtling towards Al again as Al zoomed off to the right. I knew he had seen the Snitch again. James threw the Quaffle to me suddenly and I caught it and zoomed off to score again. All of a sudden I heard a wooshing right next to my ear. I snapped my head up and saw the Slytherin beaters aiming Bludgers right at me. McMurphy was screaming at them to keep it up and I zoomed towards the goal posts and hurled the Quaffle in their bottom left hoop, earning another goal. We were now ten up on them. James whooped with pleasure and I turned to grin at him when I felt a sickening pain in the back of my head and I was met with darkness.

"Do you reckon she'll wake up soon?" I heard someone ask. It was a boy, but I wasn't sure who.

My head was pounding. And not only was my head hurting, but my right arm and left leg were killing me as well.

"Hope so." A girl said. It was Dom, I could tell. I tried to open my eyes but they felt really, really heavy.

"She's tough, she'll be fine." I heard Scorpius say. I tried to move but again, I felt really heavy.

"Hey! I think one of her fingers just twitched!" Dom said excitedly. I tried to move again and I felt lighter.

"Yeah, she did! She's twitching them again! Paislee? Can you hear me?" Dom asked right next to my ear.

I groaned.

"That's it American, c'mon wake up. Can't accompany me to my cousin's wedding if you're unconscious." I heard James say. I could practically feel his smirk.

"That's the only way I'll accompany you." I said hoarsely as I finally opened my eyes. It was dark outside; the only light was a lamp right next to my bed. The whole Gryffindor team was at my bedside, including Starlene, Dom, Rose, and Roxanne. The room chuckled as I said that. James smirked.

"You wound me American." James said. I rolled my eyes and tried to sit up but was promptly pushed back down by several hands.

"I think you should probably stay down, you're pretty much in shambles." Freddie said. I groaned; I hadn't yet assessed the damage. I gulped and looked down.

Insert groan here.

My leg was propped up on a pillow and was in a cast. My right arm was in a sling that hooked around my neck. I reached the back of my head with my left hand and felt a large gauze pad on it.

"What exactly happened?" I asked wincing as I touched the sore spot on the back of my head.

"McMurphy grabbed one of the Beaters bat and whacked a Bludger right at you. It smacked into the back of your head and you fell thirty feet, luckily McGonagall was able to slow the impact right before you smacked into the ground." Dom told me.

"Did we win?" I asked.

"Of course! Did you honestly have any doubt I'd find the Snitch Paislee? Right before McMurphy whacked that Bludger towards you, I grabbed it." Al said with a smug smile.

"Good." I said.

"McMurphy was furious."

"Speaking of him, excuse me now I'm gonna go and kill him." I said trying to sit up again. Dom pushed me back down.

"No, you're going to stay here and be good, besides McGonagall has already torn into him. He's got detention for the next two months, including Saturday's which means no Quidditch for him. Their captain, Marcus Upwood, is furious. He's holding emergency trials tomorrow to find a new Seeker." Freddie said with a wide grin.

"Speaking of that, Freddie I'm going to need you to lead the next two practices since I'm stuck in detention. Nev…er…Professor Longbottom will slaughter me if I skive." James said with a grim smile.

"Why do you have detention?" I asked. My voice was still kind of hoarse. James didn't say anything for a couple of seconds. Then, Al smacked him in the back of the head.

"Ow! Al, I hate it when you do that!" James scowled as he rubbed the back of his head. I laughed at that.

"James hexed McMurphy." Al said and smacked James again.

"Albus!" James exclaimed rubbing his head again. Everyone just laughed.

"What hex did you use?" I asked feeling slightly jealous. I was going through different scenarios in my head of what hex I personally wanted to use.

"My Mum's specialty; the bat bogey hex. To this day she still uses it against her siblings and Dad as well." James said with a smirk. 

I laughed.

"Excellent." I said.

"It was rather brilliant. I do believe Mum will be proud James." Lily said.

"Well this has been great but I gotta get outta here. I still have to finish that essay on non-verbal spells for Teddy." I said attempting to sit up again.

"Oh no you don't!" I heard a woman cry.

And sure enough Madam Pomfrey was making her way down the hall and towards my bed.

"You are going to sit here and rest. You shattered the bones in your shin as well as your arm. Plus you have a concussion. Now that you're awake you're going to have to take Skele-gro every four hours and I'll be waking you every two. Now come on you lot. Leave Ms. Hayes to her rest." Madam Pomfrey said as she ushered everyone out of the room.

I pouted.

"Does everyone have to leave?" I asked. Madam Pomfrey shook her head yes and continued to shoo everyone out of the room.

"We'll visit tomorrow Paislee! Get some sleep." Starlene said.

"Yeah, get your rest. I hate to think of what the team will be like with that tosser Cayden Jones as a Chaser." Lily said.

Freddie winked at me and Dom and Rose gave me thumbs up. Roxanne waved and so did Lily. Delton and Al smiled and James turned and ran back to my bed after whispering something to Madam Pomfrey. She gave an exasperated sigh and nodded then patted his cheek, trying to suppress a grin.

Figures even Madam Pomfrey would fall for James' charm.

"American, try and stay up and I'll make it worth your while." James whispered in my ear. I felt shivers run down my spine from his breath on my ear.

"Is this another come on, or are you being serious?" I asked.

"I'm actually being serious. I'll come by at midnight." James whispered.

"You're gonna get caught." I told him. James chuckled and then winked.

Insert stomach flip flop here.

"No I won't. I'll be…invisible. Expect me at midnight." James said and then walked out the door.

I slumped against my pillows and sighed. Madam Pomfrey walked over to me and handed me a potion. It was a deep dark yellow color that resembled…well piss actually.

Gross.

I looked up at Madam Pomfrey with a disgusted look on my face.

"That's two potions in one. It's your Skele-gro and a pain reliever. Drink all of it or you'll be in here for three weeks instead of two." She said.

Two weeks?

"Two weeks?" I shrieked.

"Yes young lady, two weeks. The bones in your shin are in pieces and will take some time to regrow in the way they need to. Now take your potion and lie down. I'll wake you up again in two hours." She said.

I gulped the potion down and tried my hardest not to throw up.

It tasted awful.

"Good night Ms. Hayes." Madam Pomfrey told me.

"Goodnight ma'am." I replied and settled against my pillows. My eyes started to feel heavy and the pain in my head began to dull as sleep overtook me.

"American. Oi, American." I heard someone whisper. I slowly opened my eyes but saw no one.

"W-who's there?" I asked quietly.

"It's me. James." James whispered.

I couldn't see anyone at all. He can't have used a disillusionment charm. Madam Pomfrey had fortified the hospital wing with an enchantment that purged all charms that tried to hide ones identity. That way no one could sneak out.

"How did you get by Madama Pomfrey's enchantments?" I asked and then James appeared out of nowhere.

"James! You almost gave me a heart attack!" I hissed. He rolled up this poncho looking thing and held it under his arm.

"Sorry. And to answer your question I have something that can pass all detective enchantments." And with that he unrolled the cloth and held it out for me to squint at. It was rather dark and I didn't want to risk turning on a lamp in case Madam Pomfrey got suspicious.

The cloth was extremely shimmery and slivery. It looked as if it would run right through my fingers, like water.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Invisibility cloak. It's my Dad's. He used it a lot when he was in school." James told me.

"How'd you get it?" I asked.

"Nicked it." James said with a sly grin.

"Nicked it?" I asked.

How many stinkin' phrases did these people have?

"Nicked means that I stole it American. It's a wonder you've made it this far." James said. I scowled at him.

"Why did you 'nick' your Dad's cloak? That's not very nice."

"I didn't actually steal it. Dad gave it to me in my third year. I was having a rough time and he told me about how he used to steal away to the kitchens for some alone time and he showed me his cloak. I'd heard all his stories of course but he never actually showed it to me, showed it to any of us really. Along with the Marauder's Map we'd only heard stories. Then Dad gave me both, of course I have to share with Al and Lils, but we pass it along rather nicely."

"Marauder's Map?" I asked.

"It's a Map made of the whole school, shows everything and everyone. It knows the exact location of every person at Hogwarts." James told me.

"That is really awesome!" I told him. He grinned.

"It kind of is huh?" He said and I nodded enthusiastically. James expression turned serious and he gingerly reached out to grab my chin and inspect me.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine. A bit banged up, but fine." I told him.

"I'm lucky I only got two weeks' worth of detention." James said my chin still in his grasp.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"Because I didn't just hex McMurphy." James said as he released my chin.

"What else did you do James?" I asked sternly. James rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I might've…erm…punched him." James said.

"You punched him?"

"In the face. A lot." James replied.

"James Sirius Potter! How dare you punch that boy! Especially when I wasn't conscious to see it!" I said with mock seriousness. James grinned at me.

"I apologize American, I should've taken your lack of consciousness into consideration." James said.

"Dang right you should've. I can't believe ya'll got to enjoy his humiliation and I didn't. So unfair." I said and shoved playfully at James with my good arm. He was practically sitting on my bed next to me.

"Trust me; I wanted to do so much more than just that. Fortunately, or in my case unfortunately, Al and Freddie tackled me to the ground before I could pound the wanker to a pulp." James said.

"Well I'm glad they did. It would suck having to find a new captain. Although, I'm sure we could find someone who's a little less on the crazy side. You know; someone who won't try and kill us during practice." I said with a sly smile. James chuckled.

"Watch it American, broken leg and arm or not, I may just have you run a few extra laps." James said with mock seriousness.

I laughed.

"I don't think Captain Freddie will make me run extra laps."

James growled at that which made me laugh harder. I had to put my hand over my mouth in order to stifle my laughter.

"Are you really okay?" James asked once I'd settled down.

"Yes James I'm fine. Sore, but fine." I said. The laughing I'd just done made my ribs hurt and I winced as I readjusted myself. James frowned, which meant he saw my wince.

"You're hurting. I should go." James said.

I sighed.

"I'm fine. But, Madam Pomfrey will be coming in here shortly to 'wake me up' and then give me some more of that disgusting potion." I said with a face of disgust. James chuckled.

"Well American, rest up. Take you potion like a good little girl." James said while patting my head. I scowled at him and moved my head to the side.

"Please tell Roxanne to bring me all of my work. I really don't want to get behind. Roxanne and I have the same classes and so does Dom but I think Roxanne would jump at the chance to write extra notes." I said. Just then Madam Pomfrey opened the door to her office and James whipped his cloak around him and disappeared as I pretended to be asleep.

Madam Pomfrey shook me gently awake and gave me another potion mixture. I knew James was still there so I tried to 'man-up' as Kerianna said, and not choke on the disgusting taste. Madam Pomfrey fluffed up my pillows and my eyes started to feel heavy again.

Stupid pain relievers.

Once Madam Pomfrey was back in her office James reappeared again.

"Try and be good American. I have a feeling you're an escapee of sorts." James said with a smile. I tried to scowl but I'm sure it didn't show up right on my face.

Stupid way the stupid pain relievers make me feel.

"S'not true." I slurred. James chuckled.

"Sure it's not. Sleep tight American." James said as my eyes closed of their own accord.

Now, this could be the medicine making me hallucinate but I could've sworn I felt James press a kiss to my forehead.


	6. Chapter 6

It's been three days. Three of the longest days of my life. I am a southern girl, sitting around doing nothing does not work well for me. I've already tried to escape twice. The first time was right when I woke up from the last time Madam Pomfrey woke me up. In all honesty I was going to come back. I just wanted to grab my copy of To The Lighthouse so I could finish it. And of course Madam Pomfrey caught me.

Stupid loud crutches.

I was forced to take extra pain medication after that.

The second time was yesterday. It was Monday and classes started back up after the weekend break and I wanted to go to Teddy's class because he promised to show us some pictures from the aftermath of the War. America doesn't talk about it much since it happened so far away but after reading about it in Hogwarts, A History I was extremely interested. Teddy was also going to show us some of his own family pictures so I really wanted to go.

Again I was caught.

And again I was forced to take more pain medication.

I swear the woman was trying to put me in a medicated induced coma.

So now it's day three and I'm going stir crazy. I will not be able to handle another 11 days here.

Shattered shin or not.

And why do I have to stay stuck up here anyways? Muggle's use crutches all the time for broken limbs and they get along just fine! I mean yeah, it'll be a bit difficult since I have my right arm in a sling but I'm sure I could get some help from my friends. Dom has already helped me with writing a letter to my Dad. And of course he totally freaked and said he was coming down right away and making sure I was okay but I guess Mr. Potter convinced him otherwise because he said he'd see me during Fall Break.

Hogwarts decided to allow a one week vacation for students to have a Fall Break. It's right after mid-terms and allows those who can go home to visit their parents, but of course we could elect to stay. I was going to stay when Dad told me that we were invited to the Potter's and Weasley's so Friday that's where we'd be headed.

Thank goodness.

At least at home I won't be treated like an invalid. Dad would make sure I would be taking it easy but he wouldn't force me to stay in my room for another week.

Take that Madam Pomfrey! You medicating inducing coma freak!

Speaking of the devil, she was coming at me with another mixture of potions.

I scowled.

"Now, now Ms. Hayes none of that. Surely you are used to it by now." She said.

"I don't think you can get used to being heavily medicated. Can I please just take the Skele-gro and the healing potion? Please? I truly don't hurt that bad. That pain potion makes my brain go fuzzy and I hate it." I said using my very best puppy dog eyes. I even pouted a bit. Madam Pomfrey tried to look stern but a smile was creeping on her lips.

"Oh now. Well…if you're absolutely sure you aren't in any pain…" She trailed off and I grinned brightly at her. Madam Pomfrey waved her wand over the cup and I saw steam rise up and disappear.

"Thank you." I said and downed my potion without making any kind of a face.

"You're welcome dear. But the moment you feel any discomfort you let me know do you understand?" She asked sternly. I nodded enthusiastically. She patted my cheek and allowed me to sit up and stretch a bit. Right as I was in mid-stretch the door burst open. Dom, Roxanne, Starlene, James, Freddie, and Al all walked in. I screeched and quickly pulled the blanket around me to cover myself.

Now, it's not that I was embarrassed of the hospital gown I was wearing it was just that the back of it was not tied quite right and I know my underwear was showing. The boys all turned their eyes but I could hear them snickering.

"Ya'll are so luck my wand arm is in this sling otherwise each one of you would be growing a tail." I said darkly as the girls ran over to me and quickly helped me back into bed.

"One day I would like to see this tail you're always threatening us with." James said with a smirk as he strolled over to us, Freddie and Al following.

"Keep it up and you will." I replied with a fake smile. Freddie laughed.

"So how goes it Captain oh Captain?" I asked. James huffed and Freddie looked sheepish.

"It's going okay I guess. I can't lead like James can, but everyone's doing fairly well." Freddie replied.

"I have all of your homework Paislee. And I took extra notes in Potions. Professor Bardon set another essay and it's on what we spoke about today. There's going to be a practical after Fall Break so I suggest you read through the notes thoroughly." Roxanne said handing me a stack of parchment. I beamed up at her.

"Thanks Roxanne. I really appreciate you doing this for me." I told her. Her cheeks turned slightly pink and muttered a 'No problem.'

"So what else is new?" I asked.

"Well from what I hear from the Professor's you, Paislee Jeanette Hayes, are quite the escape artist." Starlene said with a sly smile. I blushed furiously.

"Teddy was telling Neville that you tried to get down to his class but was stopped right before you made it down the hall." James said with a laugh.

"Stupid loud crutches. I would've made it if it hadn't been for them." I said darkly.

"Why were you trying to leave? You're just going to hurt yourself worse." Dom said as she smacked the back of my head lightly.

"Ouch!" I cried as I rubbed the back of my head. Al chuckled.

"Sucks doesn't it? Al is constantly doing that to me." James said as he threw a dirty look towards his little brother.

"Only when you deserve it." Al said while pushing up his glasses.

"You do it at least three times a day!" James cried.

"Then you deserve it at least three times a day." Al said and then reached over and smacked James like Dom did to me.

"Al!" James yelled while rubbing the back of his head. We all laughed.

"One down, two to go." Al said.

"So are you excited about coming over during Fall Break? I can't wait for you to meet the rest of our family. Victorie is going to love you. Beware though, if you think Starlene and I are bad, Victorie is worse. You'll be her own personal Barbie doll especially since you're so gorgeous and…um…smallish." Dom said.

I rolled my eyes.

"Well we're leaving at 8am on Friday. Dad said they've got the Hogwarts Express up and running and that we're going to be riding that instead of going by car. They'll meet us at the station and we'll head to the Burrow from there. I can't wait. I've really missed Grandma Weasley's treacle tart." James said with a dreamy look on his face.

"I have too. I mean don't get me wrong Hogwart's food is delicious, but nothing beats a home cooked meal." Al said.

"Well we really need to get started on our homework." Roxanne said. Dom and Starlene nodded. James and Freddie groaned.

"Well I've done all of mine already so I'm off to find Scorpius and Delton. We were planning on a game of chess. Have to redeem my honor since the last match Delton wiped the floor with me. See you lot later. Feel better soon Paislee, and no more trying to escape!" Al said while wagging a finger at me. I rolled my eyes as he turned. But before he got too far he landed another good blow to the back of James' head.

"Albus Severus I swear to Merlin!" James shouted. Al said nothing but held two fingers high into the air. We all laughed.

"See you later Paislee. We'll stop by during dinner and eat with you." Starlene said ruffling my hair as she, Dom, and Roxanne left. I scowled at her and smoothed my hair back down.

"I am so going to kill my little brother." James said still rubbing the back of his head.

Freddie and I laughed.

"I think it's funny." I said and winked at James. James couldn't help but grin at me but then rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Well Dom picked up his annoying trait so I'd wear a helmet around her if I were you. You're a bit too cheeky to be able to escape it." James said.

"Well we should probably get going mate. We've gotta try and finish that Potions essay too. Bardon isn't exactly a fan of yours." Freddie said with a clap on James' shoulder.

James scowled and got up throwing me a wink right after Freddie did.

Insert stomach flip flop here.

They really were both too gorgeous for comfort. James more so than Freddie in my opinion, but Freddie was still uber cute.

I waved goodbye and settled back against my pillows and started thumbing through Roxanne's notes.

Friday came quickly and before I knew it I was being fussed over by Madam Pomfrey as she helped me prepare for the trip back to London. My shin was almost completely healed so I was able to walk. I winced with almost every step because it hurt like hell but I tried to hide it in front of Madam Pomfrey. She filled my bag full of Skele-gro and healing potions with strict instructions to take them twice a day. I nodded and she allowed me to take my sling off but promptly waved her wand and encased my arm with a bright yellow cast. I gaped at her but she gave me a look that shut up all protests I previously had. We boarded the train and before I knew it we were getting off the Hogwarts Express and heading towards a red Ford Anglia. James and Al were snickering uncontrollably while Lily rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. She was still being very short with her two brothers. I figured she was still pissed at them for their little sports bra stunt. I didn't understand why they were laughing and before I could ask I saw my Dad.

"Dad!" I yelled and ran as quickly as I could over to him. He met me halfway and picked me up and spun me around.

"I missed you kiddo!" Dad said as he set me on the ground. I grinned at him.

"I missed you too Dad." I said.

"I expected to have more in one piece though. Of course leave it to you to get sent to the infirmary your first two months at school." Dad said ruffling my hair. I blushed furiously and my friends snickered. I scowled at them and they walked closer.

"Dad these are my new friends. This is Dom, Rose, Roxanne, Lily, Scorpius, Al, Hugo, Freddie, and James." I said pointing to each one. The girls all waved while the five boys stepped forward and shook my Dads' hand. Starlene was with her family for Fall Break.

"It's nice to meet you kids. Thanks for taking such good care of my little girl." Dad said. I rolled my eyes as James and Freddie smirked.

"No problem sir. She's been a right laugh. I'm really happy you guys are able to spend the break with us." Dom said with a smile.

"Speaking of that, where are our parents?" Lily asked.

"They stepped out for a moment. They'll be back shortly. Although it's only Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, Ronald Weasley that is." Dad said. "They were quite amused at something and were almost…snickering when we apparated here and found the car. I think they mentioned something about getting extra seat belts." Dad said with a confused expression on his face.

Then all of my friends burst into laughter.

"What is so funny?" I asked.

Lily sobered up quickly.

"It's just this even that happened when my Dad and Uncle Ron were back in school. They got locked out of the barrier and drove a blue Ford Anglia all the way to Hogwarts and then crash landed into the Whomping Willow. Apparently the car is running wild in the Forbidden Forest." Lily told us.

Dad and I laughed.

"That is quite some story." I said.

"Try living it." An amused voice said from behind us. We turned around and saw two middle-aged men walking towards us. The man on the left was tall and quite lean with bright red hair and freckles spread across his nose and cheeks. I figured he was Mr. Ron Weasley; Rosie's and Hugo's Dad. The other man was of course Mr. Harry Potter. His bright green eyes were shinning behind his glasses as he looked at his kids.

"Dad!" Lily, Al, and James yelled just as Rose and Hugo yelled the same thing. The five of them ran to their Dad's and hugged them one by one. Dom, Roxanne, Freddie, and Scorpius followed suit. Scorpius had no qualms walking up to the two men and hugging them as if they were family members. I figured Scorpius was an honorary cousin or something.

"Hey guys. How has term been so far?" Mr. Potter asked.

"Brilliant. We won our first match against Slytherin. Of course they weren't too happy and Paislee took a nasty Bludger to the back of the head." James said with a grimace. Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley popped their heads up and looked right at me. I felt heat rush to my face and I looked down.

"Is this your daughter Jace?" Mr. Weasley asked. Dad wrapped an arm around my shoulders and smiled proudly.

"This is her. Paislee Hayes, this is Mr. Ronald Weasley and of course you've already met Mr. Potter."

"Please, call me Ron." Mr. Weasley replied.

"And please feel free to call me Harry." Mr. Potter said. I looked at my Dad expecting him to say something about 'Respect your elders' or something of the like.

"Okay." I said.

"James has told me an awful lot about you Paislee. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Harry said.

"Dad!" James cried indignantly.

Al and Scorpius snorted with silent laughter.

"What?" Harry asked with a look of innocence, but you could easily see the mischief in his eyes. Ron chuckled.

"C'mon Harry, leave the poor boy alone. Besides, Ginny'll have him reduced to a red faced mess in two seconds. Why deny her the opportunity?" Ron said.

"Uncle Ron!" James cried again.

Everyone laughed.

Well, I chuckled a bit but I was too busy trying to figure out what Mr. Potter meant about James telling him about me.

No time to ponder this of course because we were all piling into the tiny red car which was much, much bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside.

"Undetectable extension charm." Ron said as we fit everything into the trunk of the car and buckled up. "My wife, Hermione, did it. She's brilliant at things like that."

"Rose must get it honestly then." I replied. Rose blushed and Scorpius smiled at her.

Those two really were too cute for words.

They should be together by now, wonder what's taking so long?

That is something I'm most definitely going to have to talk to Rose about this week.

"Hope you guys don't mind flying. Hang on, the take-off is a bit bumpy." Harry said as the car disappeared and lurched forward and then up into the air.

The ride went smoothly with Harry and Ron telling the story of their flying car adventure. Apparently they were only second years when it happened. We laughed the entire way there as Ron and Harry describe how the other was more terrified or shrieked like a girl. An hour and a half later we were descending. I looked out of the window and saw a rather large and slightly crooked house.

"Welcome to the burrow American." Ron said as he looked at my Dad.

I rolled my eyes.

So my Dad had the same nickname as I did?

And then I snorted as I saw my Dad roll his eyes.

"Don't worry Dad; they call me the same thing." I said with a grin. Dad turned around and looked at me with a slight grin on his face.

"Looks like it's a family thing then huh?" He said.

Ron and Harry laughed.

"Just wait until you meet the rest of them. They'll be begging for the two of you to talk the entire time. Oh and don't forget to say 'ya'll' as much as you can Jace. Man oh man, that gets me every time." Ron said with a laugh.

"I'm sure Grandma Weasley will find it absolutely adorable." Harry replied with a grin.

"Can't wait." My Dad said somewhat sarcastically.

We all laughed.

The car landed smoothly and Ron waved his wand and the trunk flew open and all of our luggage flew out and zoomed towards the house.

"Hermione says he's lazy for doing that." Harry whispered to me with a wink. I laughed and followed the crew as they headed towards the house.

It took my Dad about two seconds to notice that I was moving considerably slower than everyone else.

"Paislee are you okay?" He asked as he hurried towards me.

"I'm fine Dad. I'm just a bit sore, that's all. Ya'll go ahead, I'll make it." I assured him.

Dad snorted.

"Paislee, I'm your father. Do you honestly think I'm just going to walk away?" He asked.

I sighed and allowed him to wrap his arm around my shoulder and lead me towards the house.

The moment we entered chaos ensued.

There were cries of 'I've missed you!' and 'Look how thin you are!' and 'You look a bit peaky but supper will be done shortly.'

Then I was grabbed, none too gently, and hugged by several different people.

"Why she iz gorgeous!"

"Yes Fluer, she's quite a looker isn't she?"

"Oh James you were too modest in your description of her."

"How are you Paislee? Heard you took a Bludger to the back of the head."

"George, honestly, don't you think she's rehashed the story enough?"

I had no idea who was saying what as I was passed around from one adult to another.

"Can we let the poor dear breathe?" Someone said from outside of the circle.

The women released me and I saw a woman with bushy brown hair come towards me with a warm smile.

Rose had the same kind of hair.

She must be Hermione.

"Always the wise one love." Ron said affectionately and kissed his wife on the cheek.

Hermione beamed up at him and then shook my hand.

"It's nice to meet you Paislee. My name is Hermione."

"Pleased to meet you Mrs. Weasley." I returned.

"Sorry for the bombardment, we've just missed everyone so much. And of course we've heard quite about you from your Dad and our kids." A woman with fiery red hair said. I looked up and saw Harry wrap an arm around her waist.

Ginny Potter.

"It's alright. Our last family reunion was like that. Ya'll haven't seen nothing until you've been to a Hayes family reunion." I replied and then immediately slapped a hand over my face.

I said ya'll.

Several of the adult's tried hard to hide the smiles growing on their faces. Harry and Ron smirked. My Dad rolled his eyes. The kids were all snickering. And a few of the adults flat out laughed loudly.

"George." A dark woman said reproachfully.

"What? That was the most adorable thing I've ever heard." He said and rubbed his stomach where the woman had elbowed him.

"That's what we told her." Freddie said.

So George is Freddie's Dad and the woman was his Mom, Angelina.

"Forgive my husband. He likes a laugh. I'm Angelina and this git next to me is my husband George." My Dad and I shook their hands.

"And I am Fluer and this iz my huzband Bill. You ave' already met my daughter Dominique yes? Thiz iz my other daughter Victorie and my son Louis." A beautiful blonde woman said with a very thick French accent. Victorie beamed at me and Louis smiled and waved. He looked a bit younger than Dom and I wondered why I hadn't seen him at Hogwarts before. The man next to Fluer looked really…cool. He had a fang earring and his hair was long and pulled into a ponytail. He smiled at me and shook my Dad's hand.

"And I am Molly Weasley. This is Arthur, my husband. Welcome to our home." An older woman with slight gray hair said. She didn't shake my Dad's hand, just pulled him into a hug and I snorted.

My Dad was not much of a hugger when it came to strangers.

I saw him stiffen slightly and I snorted again.

He shot me a look which sobered me up quickly.

Arthur shook his hand as Mrs. Weasley pulled me into a hug.

"Thank you for having us. Ya'll are too kind, really." My Dad said.

Insert snickers from Weasley and Potter clan here.

Also insert eye rolls from Dad and I here.

"Well you both are looking a bit peaky. Afraid you'll have to wait though. Dinner will be another half hour or so. Now, adults follow me into the foyer and we'll have a spot of tea. Children, don't destroy the house." And with that Mrs. Weasley ushered all of the adults out of the living room and into the foyer. My Dad looked back at me and I nodded encouragingly. He smiled and followed the rest of the adults.

"Well now that the stiffs are gone how do you guys want to destroy the house?" James asked with a maniacal smile. Freddie rubbed his hands in an mock evil way and wiggled his eyebrows. Dom rolled her eyes and grabbed my arm.

"C'mon Paislee. I'll show you where I usually sleep. You can bunk with me and Victorie." She said.

"Uh, Dom? Teddy will be here later this afternoon. I'm pretty sure Victorie will not be bunking with you." James said with a smirk.

"Ugh, James. Too much information about my big sister." Louis said as he covered his face with a hand.

"How come I've never seen you Louis?" I asked.

Louis looked up and smiled.

"I go to school in France. My mother wanted at least one of her kids to go and I was the only one who volunteered." He said. It made sense. His accent was much more noticeable than Dom's.

"You won't meet Lucy or Molly this week either. They're Uncle Percy's and Aunt Audrey's girls. They're in Romania visiting Uncle Charlie for Fall Break. They're home schooled so I'm sure you'll get along well with them once you see them at Christmas." Dom said.

Freddie and James scoffed.

Dom shot them both a look while Al, Hugo, and Louis snorted.

"Honestly Freddie and James, they're our family." Rose said.

"Family or not they act as if they both have a stick up their arses." James replied.

"James is right Dom. They're more like aliens. Even weirder than Americans." Freddie said with a wink towards me.

I scowled at him and he laughed.

"So what kind of party do you think we'll have this year?" Hugo asked.

"Party?" I asked.

"Well, James' birthday is the day we go back to Hogwarts so we always celebrate with a party. Last year was pretty wild and this is the year he loses the Trace and becomes a man so I'm sure it'll be even wilder." Scorpius said.

"Dad'll probably let us all have a glass of Firewhiskey too. Everyone let us when Freddie came of age. It was awesome. Grandma Weasley did pitch a fit though." Al said.

"Dad'll wait till she's tuckered out and then pull it out I'm sure." James said. Hugo high fived Louis while Al and Scorpius bumped fists.

I was lost.

"What is Firewhiskey?" I asked.

Everyone gasped at me.

"Doth mine ears deceive me? Hast thou never heard of the great joy of Firewhiskey?" James asked.

"Nope." I replied.

"It's an alcoholic beverage that kind of burns the throat, but in a pleasant way." Rose said.

"Way to make it sound scientific Rosie." Al said.

"Well I'm not much of a drinker." I told them.

"You don't have to, besides your Dad might not even allow it." Lily said.

"My Dad is pretty chill. He lets me do just about anything I want as long as it's not harmful to anyone." I told them.

"Well one drink won't hurt. You'll be fine American. However, I want this year to be themed. Like a costume party or something since it's close to Halloween anyways." James said.

"That'd be excellent!" Roxanne said excitedly.

"Yeah, a costume party would be a lot of fun!" Lily added.

"Dad said I could invite a few friends so I was thinking of inviting Delton, Sean, Braeden, Rhys, Addisyn, and Kaelynn. They all live fairly close and I talked a bit about it to them before we left Hogwarts so I'm pretty sure they'll come." James said.

"I don't recognize some of those names." I said.

"Well Delton of course is on the team. Sean and Braeden are in Potions and DADA with us. They've been old friends for a while. Sean is the son of Seamus Finnigan, an old school mate of Dad's. Braeden used to be a Beater but threw out his shoulder last year and never quite recovered fully. Rhys, Addisyn, and Kaelynn are in Muggle Studies with us. They're all in Ravenclaw. James fancies Kaelynn." Lily added slyly.

"Fancies?" I asked.

"It means likes. James fancies Kaelynn so that means he likes her. In more than a friend kind of way." Lily said.

"I do not fancy her." James muttered.

"Then why are you turning red?" Al asked with a smirk.

James threw him a dirty look.

"I am not turning red. Now shut it before I un-invite you."

Al and Scorpius laughed.

And for some reason my heart dropped.

"Well come on, let's get ready for dinner and unpack all of our stuff. Follow me Paislee."

And with that we dispersed to separate rooms and unpacked until Mrs. Weasley called us down to dinner.

I was quiet during dinner. Everyone else was talking and swapping stories and laughing.

I was thinking.

So James liked someone. Now, I know what you're thinking. 'Why do you care Paislee? He's constantly annoying the crap out of you.' And you are correct. I totally shouldn't care…but I do. I'm actually kind of upset to find out that he likes someone. What if this Kaelynn chick likes him back? What if they start going out? Why do I care?

GAH!

This is way more complicated than it should be.

"Paislee!" Dom shouted.

I jerked up and looked at her.

"I'm sorry what?" I said.

"I just asked what you wanted to be for James' costume party. We're thinking about going to Diagon Alley tomorrow to start looking." Dom said with a furrow of her brow as she looked at me.

"Oh um. I'm not entirely sure actually. I've never been to a costume party before." I said.

"Really?" Victorie asked.

"Yeah. I didn't have a lot of friends back home." I said sheepishly. My Dad smiled at me encouragingly. "What are you going to be?" I asked Dom.

"A princess of course." Dom replied.

James, Freddie, and Al snorted.

"Of course you're going to." Louis said with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh Dommie! I'll help you with your hair and make-up!" Victorie said while clapping her hands.

"I was thinking of maybe being a can-can dancer." Roxanne said.

"That'd be really neat Roxie. You could wear a feathered hat and everything!" Dom said.

"I was thinking someone else could be one with me. What do you say Lils?" Roxanne asked with a smile.

"I say it'd be totally wicked." Lily said with a grin.

"What about you Rosie?" Lily asked.

"I'm not sure. I've only been to one other costume party and that was when I was ten and I was a fairy." Rose replied.

"Well you could still be a fairy, just a more…adult fairy." Dom said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Oh Dom stop! No I think I'll be one of those Muggle versions of a pretty witch. You know with frills on the skirt and lots of lace with orange and black themes." Rose said enthusiastically.

"Oh that'd be fantastic! I could help you out with that since I practically grew up as a Muggle." I told her.

"What about you gents?" Harry asked.

"Well obviously I'm going to be a super model." Freddie said. Everyone laughed at that.

"I think you should be a lumber jack." I said.

"A what?" Freddie asked.

"A lumber jack. You know they're Muggles who cut down trees with an ax. They're supposed to be all buff and handsome and wear flannel shirts and torn jeans. Real woodsy people. You'd be a good lumber jack." I said.

"That actually sounds rather neat. Thanks Pais." Freddie said as he grinned at me.

"We Scor and I are planning on being Castiel from that Muggle show we look to watch. You know, Supernatural? He's an angel dressed as like a tax accountant which is some kind of Muggle job that deals with math." Al said, him and Scorpius knuckle bumped.

They did that a lot.

"What about you James, Louis, Hugo?" Ginny asked.

"I was actually thinking of maybe being Van Helsing. You know that legend vampire and demon hunter? He's totally bad a…awesome. Totally awesome." James quickly back peddled after his Mom threw him a look.

"That sounds wicked awesome." Freddie said high fiving James.

"Thanks. Lou?" James asked.

"Well I was thinking of being one of those Muggle doctors." Louis said.

"You could have a stethie-scope and everything! I think I have one in the garage!" Mr. Arthur Weasley said enthusiastically.

"Uh it's called a stethoscope Mr. Weasley." I said

"Oh that's right. I do believe I have one somewhere in the garage Louis, we can look tomorrow." He said. Louis nodded enthusiastically and smiled at his grandfather.

"Thanks Granddad." Louis said.

"I was thinking of being a knight." Hugo said and everyone nodded and assured him that it was a cool costume.

"So then that just leaves Paislee. I'm sure we'll find something for you tomorrow." Hermione said.

"You know one year for Halloween, I decided to allow Paislee to go trick or treating with some of her Muggle friends." Dad said and my eyes grew wide.

I knew this story.

And it's not a story I want anyone else knowing.

"Dad." I said warningly.

"Yes hun?" My Dad said feigning innocence.

"Don't even think about it." I said.

"Now now American don't be interrupt your father when he's obviously about to tell us a very interesting story." James said with a smirk.

"I quite agree Paislee. Don't interrupt me. So as I was saying, she was around 7 or 8 at the time and super excited. She decided to be Genie from the Muggle show I dream of Genie. She had this adorable pink costume full of sparkles that her Mother made. Alaina had added a spark of magic so that every time Paislee crossed her arms and blinked that her costume would glow. She was ecstatic when her friends arrived and so they all trooped to different houses in the neighborhood."

"Dad please for the love of Merlin stop talking!" I begged as I felt heat rush up to my face.

Everyone shushed me.

"So we're at this big house down the block and it was totally decked out with spooky Halloween decorations and this stuffed scarecrow that had been hanging there all month."

"Dad please!" I begged as the embarrassing part of the story got closer.

"Shut it Paislee." Freddie said.

"No Dad seriously this has gone to farmmph!" Dom came from behind and covered my mouth with her hand.

"Continue Mr. Hayes." She said and I screamed from under her hand and wiggled in my chair.

"So this scarecrow hasn't moved an inch all month right? Well we get up to the house and Paislee is so apprehensive she stays back until she sees all of her friends get there safely and back and then my little girl walks up all brave and confident to get her candy and the scarecrow jumps at her." Dad is cracking up at this point. Barely able to get his words out as I slam my head against the table.

"So P-Paislee…hahaha…shrieks like a b-banshee…hahaha…throws her little bucket o-of candy into the air…hehehe…and r-runs down the st-street still shrieking!" He finishes with laughter.

And of course everyone else is cracking up just as hard.

I looked down at the floor.

"Why? Why won't you swallow me?" I asked the floor.

Stupid floor didn't answer back.

"Oh American, that is just too hilarious." James said wiping a tear from his eye.

"Paislee that has got to be the cutest story in the world." Roxanne said grinning madly.

"I hate all of you right now." I muttered darkly as the flush in my cheeks got hotter.

"Oh now Paislee don't get your wand in a knot. I have a few stories of my own that will make this lot burn with embarrassment as well." Ginny said with a evil grin.

The kids grew quiet.

"I think you should save those for James' party dear." Harry said with a wink towards James.

"Mum, Dad please don't. Not this year. I'm a man this year." James said with a groan.

Everyone laughed at that.

"Awe, you'll always be ickle Jimmy to me." Scorpius said and Al laughed.

"Watch it blondie." James said with a grin.

The meal was finished with much teasing of me and then finally we all trudged upstairs to go to bed. I had just finished brushing my teeth when I ran into James.

Literally.

"Ouch! Bloody hell American you've got one hard head." James said as he rubbed his chest that I just slammed my head into.

"And you've got a hard chest Britian." I said rubbing my forehead.

"I know." James smirked and I rolled my eyes. I made a move to step around him to go to mine and Dom's room but he stepped in front of me.

"Could you move please? I've had a long day and would like to go to sleep." I said.

"Awe, scarecrow scare you today?" James asked in a baby voice.

"You are so immature." I said as I scowled at him.

"And you are too easy. It's almost not fun."

"And I am going to bed now." I said and ducked under his arm and walked up the stairs.

"Goodnight Paislee. Don't let the bed bugs bite. Or the scarecrows." I heard James snicker as I slammed the door.

Longest week of my life? I think yes.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day we did go to Diagon Alley. It was cool seeing George's shop and there was a picture of him and Fred right in the middle of the store. Freddie looked a lot like his late Uncle. Except Freddie was darker, his skin more of a caramel color. I bought a bright orange pygmy puff and named him Jensen. James and Freddie stocked up on skiving snack boxes and other prank material.

After we left George's shop we went straight to the costume shop to look for me a costume and unfortunately no luck. I tried on costume after costume but nothing worked. Everyone else was able to find everything they needed perfectly but I just wasn't finding anything that…worked. Everyone paid for the purchases and we left the store with everyone promising me that we'd find something sooner or later for me to wear. We ate lunch and then left for the Burrow. Everyone planned on a Quidditch match when we got back and I was excited. Once we came back to the Burrow we started picking teams.

"How bout us young, strapping, good looking crew versus you older, not so strapping, only slightly good looking crew. Except for you Mum, you don't look a day over 21." James said with a bright smile towards his Mom.

"Oh my dear, dear son. You're not gonna make me embarrass you in front of our guests are you?" Harry asked.

"Bring it on old man." James said smirking.

"You know what Harry, I say we show these kids why we barely ever lost a game." Ron said with a clap on Harry's back.

"I agree dear brother. I think you gents, and lady gents, are forgetting that your family made up half of the Gryffindor team back in the day." George said with a grin.

"Way back in the day." Freddie murmured.

"I heard that son. Let's do this then. Ron you be keeper. Ginny and I will be Chasers, Harry you're obviously Seeker, George you and Bill got the Beater positions. We need one more Chaser though. Fleur? Hermione? Jace?" Angelina asked.

"Erm…I'm not much for flying." Hermione said nervously and stepped back.

"I alzo do not do well with ze flying." Fleur said.

"I'll Chase. Besides, who do you think taught Paislee all she knows?" My Dad said with a wink at me.

I rolled my eyes.

The old man didn't show me everything. Just…most things.

"Alright! Loser cleans up dinner without magic." James said.

"James! Have you seen what the kitchen looks like after dinner?" Dom said.

"Dom, it's us against our parents. C'mon, how can we lose?" Al asked with an eye roll.

"Al's right. We've got this. Rose will you be Beater with Freddie?" Scorpius asked.

"Sure." Rose replied. Scorpius winked at her and she blushed furiously. I looked at Rose and arched an eyebrow.

"Oh shut it." Rose muttered as I grinned.

We got our brooms from the shed and walked to a make shift pitch in the field behind the Burrow. Harry and Al were playfully shoving one another as they made their way down to the pitch until Harry ruffled his hair and kicked into the air. Al following shortly and then Ron and Scorpius going to their respective goals. Freddie and George were play sword fighting with their bats and then went up into the air followed by James, Ginny, Angelina, my Dad, Lily, and me.

Hermione walked to the middle of the field as the rest of the adults conjured chairs and sat down to watch. Victoire was sitting on Teddy's lap. I think they were torn as to who to vote for since they were closer to our ages.

"Alright now you lot. No cheating. Don't give me that look James I know you cheat. Hugo and I will referee. First to catch the Snitch with the most points wins obviously. Oh yeah and by the way. Grandma Weasley is making chili tonight and we all know how messy that gets!" Hermione said with a smile while we all gulped in nervousness.

We have to win.

We didn't win.

It was a close match, but Harry caught the snitch seconds before Al had almost grasped it. I had never seen adults play so passionately before. Except for Ginny of course. She was captain of the Harpies for eight years and Angelina played on a local team for a while. Ron was a fantastic Keeper and we had a hard time scoring. But James, Lily, and I were giving my Dad, Ginny, and Angelina a run for their money. At the end of the game we were all sprawled out on the pitch, panting.

"Well. I don't know about you guys but I plan on having at least four bowls of chili." George said with a grin towards Freddie.

"Awe, c'mon Dad give us a break." Freddie whined. George walked over and grabbed his son around the head and gave him a noogie.

"No way son. I'm going to milk this for all it's worth." George said with a grin. Freddie shoved at his Dad trying desperately to suppress a grin.

And now here we were washing dishes.

That's right. Washing dishes. By hand!

"Loser cleans up dinner without magic. Way to go James." Al muttered darkly.

"How was I supposed to know that the old man still had skills?" James asked.

Everyone looked ridiculous.

We had huge yellow rubber gloves on and aprons. The adults were roaring with laughter in the other room. They were telling stories of their youth and my Dad of course was telling stories about my childhood.

Git.

And James was getting some serious ribbing from everyone else.

"Mate, I hate to say it but this is truly all your fault." James said.

"Yeah James. You just had to say without magic didn't you? With a flick of their wand Freddie and Dom could've had this cleaned up." Rose said.

"C'mon ya'll, give the guy a break." I said. I felt kinda sorry for him; I mean I truly didn't think we'd lose. Harry Potter truly is a really good Seeker.

"You know what? I think James has this. Would do you say we skive this bet and go play some Exploding Snap?" Dom said as she took her rubber gloves off. There were murmurs of agreement as everyone else took their gloves off as well and one by one left the kitchen. James rolled his eyes but let everyone leave.

I stayed.

"You're not going to skive as well?" James asked.

"Nah, I do the dishes at home all the time. My best friend Kerianna always had me help her with her chores and washing dishes was one of them. Plus there's no way you could do all these dishes by yourself. No offense but you're slower than molasses in an igloo." I told him.

James burst out laughing.

"That is the oddest expression I have ever heard in my life American." James said.

"Well it just means you're slow." I muttered.

"Noted." James said with a grin.

"Oh shut it."

"Whatever you say American." James said with a smirk. I looked up at him and nudged him in the ribs with my elbow. He laughed and nudged me back.

We finished the dishes in a comfortable silence and joined the adults in the living room. James was still a bit miffed at everyone else for ditching us.

"So how was dish duty?" My Dad asked with a sly smile.

I scowled at him.

"Paislee what have I said about scowling?" He asked.

"That it is most becoming of a young lady?" I said in a sickly sweet voice.

Ron and George laughed at that.

"You're quite the cheeky one aren't you?" Ginny asked.

"I have been known to be a smart alec at times." I answered.

"At times?" My Dad asked incredulously.

"James can be the same way. I can't count the number of times Ginny had to use Scourgify on him when he was younger." Harry said with a chuckle.

"When I was younger? Mum used it the day before we left!" James cried.

"Oh yeah." Harry said and I laughed.

"Scourgify huh? I never thought about using that one. Normally all I have to do is threaten the tickling hex and Paislee will do whatever I say." Dad said.

Insert face palm here.

"Oh that one works on Freddie almost every time." Angelina said.

"Lily too. I also believe we've used it on James a few times when he was younger." Ginny said.

"Mum!" James cried.

"What? All three of my children are exceptionally ticklish. Always have been. They get it from their father." Ginny said with a wink at me.

Harry put his hands over his face and sighed.

"You know, that's not exactly a good trait to have when you're the head of the Auror department." Harry said.

Ron laughed and poked Harry in the side, forcing a very un-manly like squeak.

"Ron I swear to Merlin…" Harry trailed off.

Everyone laughed at that.

"Don't feel bad Mr. Potter, it's not exactly something you can control. Besides, I highly doubt any dark wizards will be using Rictusempra." I said.

"No but my wife certainly feels the need to use it." Harry said and threw Ginny a mock angry look.

"Can't help it that I know your greatest weakness." Ginny said with a sly smile.

"Well as fascinating as this conversation is I think I'm going to go to my room and rest. Washing dishes can take it out of a man." James said with a scowl on his face. We all laughed and I told my Dad I was going to hang out with Dom and Roxanne.

Rose and Lily joined us shortly and so did Victoire. We sat around and I listened as they all dished on who they liked. Lily was very open with the fact that she 'fancied' Delton, Roxanne went on about her boyfriend Ashton, Dom liked some guy from Ravenclaw named Henry but she also found Sean 'yummy,' and Rose claimed to like no one.

"Rosie, I know for a fact that's a lie." Lily told her cousin.

"No it's not." Rose said as a blush began to creep up her face.

"You and Scorpius are totally in love." Dom said.

"We are not!" Rose denied.

"Rose, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Love is a wonderful thing. Teddy and I got together in my fifth year and his seventh and now look where we are. To be married this coming summer! Plus, Scorpius is already practically family since he spends most of the holidays with us." Victoire said.

"Do you guys really think he likes me?" Rose asked quietly.

We all answered with 'Of course!' and 'How could he not?' Rose beamed up at us and then all eyes turned on me.

"Why are you all staring at me like…oh no. No way. I haven't been here long enough to like anyone!" I said as I saw their knowing looks.

"Doesn't mean you can't fancy anyone. There's plenty of good looking blokes around school." Roxanne said.

"Of course there's attractive guys at school but that doesn't mean anything." I replied.

"Don't listen to her ladies. She had a very hard time concentrating the first day of practice." Lily said with a sly smile.

I sent her a death glare but she waved me off and continued.

"First day of practice Paislee drooled all over the place once the blokes took off their shirts."

"So what? A girl can't appreciate art?" I asked.

"Well we do have some good looking cousins." Dom said and Roxanne nodded.

"But there was someone in particular that Paislee seemed to not get enough of." Lily said.

"Lily…" I warned. She waved me off again.

"Oh? And who was that dear cousin?" Victoire asked.

"My own dear brother. James." Lily replied.

Insert blush here.

"Oh my gosh! Paislee! Do you fancy James?" Dom asked way too excitedly for my comfort.

"No I do not 'fancy' James. I just happen to think he's semi-attractive." I said wishing that I sounded nonchalant.

"Are you sure that's all?" Dom asked.

"Yes I'm sure. If you haven't noticed, James annoys the hell out of me." I told them.

"But how great would it be if you two did fall in love? Then you'd really be part of the family!" Lily said excitedly.

I laughed at that.

"While that would be fabulous, but it wouldn't work out." I said.

"Well why not?" Rose asked.

"Because once I'm done with school I'm going back to Alabama. Don't get me wrong I will miss you guys like crazy, but I miss my home." I said and fought back a sob.

"Awe Paislee do you really have to go?" Dom asked.

"I'll visit as often as possible. And you guys can come visit me as well! Ya'll will love Alabama. It's always warm and the people are super friendly. Oh! And you all can meet my other friends!" I said excitedly.

"We would love to!" Roxanne said and everyone nodded.

We finished talking around ten and then we all went to bed.

Fall Break went by super-fast and before I knew it I had three hours before James party and I still didn't have a costume.

"Paislee what are you going to do? You need to come up with something soon!" Dom said as she aimed a slap to the back of my head. I dodged it neatly and she scowled at me.

"I don't know Dom! I can't think of anything!" I told her.

"Well what are your interests?" Dom asked as Victoire was doing her hair. Roxanne, Lily, and Rose were all getting ready in mine and Dom's room. The adults were planning on hanging out on the back patio all night so that we could have some privacy for James' party. We were going to eat dinner and have cake and open presents with everyone and then the adults would leave for two hours to let us party.

"Oh my gosh!" Victoire suddenly shouted.

"What?" We all asked at the same time.

"I have the perfect costume for Paislee!" Victoire said. But before anyone could ask any questions she shoved her wand with Dom's hair curled around it into my hands and rushed out of the room.

Three and a half hours later and I was a Greek goddess.

Literally.

Victoire curled my hair so that it fell in short ringlets around my face. I had black eyeliner on that she swopped to the side and it made my eyes pop. I had golden strappy sandals on that had a two inch heel on them, making me slightly taller than usual but still shorter than everyone else. And then there was the dress I was wearing. It was white with blue tinting on the edge of the dress. It was sleeveless and had a slit that went from my mid-thigh all the way down to the end of the dress. I had a thin, sparkly, golden headband with a matching arm band that was wrapped around my bicep.

I was soooooo not comfortable. But the girls insisted I looked great and I had no other ideas and no time left so I carefully made my way downstairs where everyone else was at. I was already late and I felt bad but I was a coward and stayed in mine and Dom's room for a little while trying to catch my breath.

This was my first real party. And I was dressed like a slut. Well not like a slut. It was actually kind of classy. So I was a classy slut.

I'm a claslut.

I took a deep breath as I reached the bottom of the stairs. I peeked around the corner and saw everyone sitting at the table and waiting. For me more than likely.

Here goes nothing.

I stepped into the dining room and everyone looked at me as soon as my heels made that clacking noise on the linoleum.

"Bloody hell." I heard James murmur.

"Sorry I'm late." I said rather hoarsely. My Dad was looking at me in a strange way. He looked torn. Kind of like he was miffed but also proud? Weird. I sat down next to Dom and my Dad and direct across from James. I said hello to Delton and the three girls and two other boys that James had mentioned inviting. I wished Starlene could've come but her family was in Ireland for Fall Break visiting a sick relative so she couldn't make it.

"You look…stunning honey. I'm not sure I like it though. These boys seem to be unable to take their eyes off of you." My Dad whispered to me.

"Erm…thanks?" I said and my Dad chuckled.

"I think I might have to slaughter them later. Thank Merlin I'm a horrible Legilimens." Dad said.

"Dad!" I cried.

"Kidding Paislee." Dad said with a chuckle.

Harry hit his glass lightly with a fork and held it up in the air.

"I'd like to say a few words before we start dinner." Harry said as he beamed at his son. James grinned back.

"James Sirius Potter. There was a time when I thought that having a family was an impossibility and now I'm looking at my oldest son and I couldn't be happier or prouder. You are about to come of age. It seems like just yesterday you were turning two and your Mum and I were trying to keep you from burning down the house." Everyone chuckled and James blushed. "And now here you are on the precipice of manhood and as sad as I am that these last seventeen years have gone by so fast, I am so thankful to have been blessed with you. I love you son. To James!" Harry ended and raised his glass higher.

We all raised our glasses and chorused 'To James!'

Ginny and Hermione were wiping tears from their eyes and James had a slight blush across his cheeks.

Which of course only made him look even more attractive. It truly wasn't fair for someone to be that gorgeous. His costume just accentuated his good looks. He had on dark jeans with holes in the knees, a dark blue button up shirt that had quite a few buttons that weren't fastened and showed his toned chest, and he also had a black leather jacket and a black hat that was resting next to him on the floor. His already impossibly messy hair was even messier than normal which of course made him sexier. Again I say not fair.

James suddenly looked at me and I quickly averted my gaze and blushed. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him smirk and then engaged Freddie and a boy with a thick Irish accent in a conversation, probably about Quidditch. I assumed he was Sean since I knew that Harry's friend Seamus was Irish. We ate dinner and cake immediately followed. Mrs. Weasley, Molly Weasley that is, had a Quaffle shaped cake. After a hardy round of the birthday song we all ate cake and went to open presents.

James made out like a bandit.

His parents got him a gorgeous onyx watch. Some kind of Weasley tradition. His cousins and siblings got him an array of Quidditch books and paraphernalia. He also got a lot of treats; candies, small cakes, treacle tart from Honeydukes and an array of pranking material from his friends. And then he got to my present.

I wasn't sure what to get him because I hadn't known him for too long, but when we were in Diagon Alley something just caught my attention and I thought it'd be perfect for him.

"Let's see. 'To Britian, from American.' Well I wonder who this could be from." James said in mock wonder.

"Oh just open it you prat." Lily said with a smile. James grinned at me and ripped open my present. And then his face lit up and my heart soared.

"Paislee…this is…perfect." James said a little breathlessly as he pulled out my present.

It was a jacket. I know that sounds lame but this jacket had James written all over it. It was a deep and dark brown color that would bring the hazel out in his eyes. It was leather too and cast fifty galleons. Luckily I had quite a bit of gold stored in my own bank account. I had been saving all of my chore money since I was ten. James stood up and took off his costume jacket and slipped his new one on. I sighed in relief when I saw how well it fit him.

"Oh Paislee that is such a wonderful gift! That jacket is lovely!" Ginny cried as James smoothed it out.

"It does make you look rather dashing James." Hermione said.

"Mate, you have to let me borrow that." Freddie said as James scoffed.

"Fat chance." James said with a smile.

"I'm glad it fits. I saw it and thought you might like it. There was a hat I saw too but I was sure no hat would be able to fit your fat head." I told him with a grin.

Everyone laughed.

"I do not have a fat head. I have a perfectly normal size head to match my perfect body." James said as he sat down.

"I have no idea where he gets his cockiness from because it's definitely not from me." Harry said with a shake of his head.

"It's definitely from his Uncle George." Angelina said with a smile as she winked at her husband.

"Hardy har har." George replied with an eye roll.

"Alright guys, let's leave the kids be now." Ron said and Harry ruffled James' hair on the way out while Ginny kissed his cheek. Once all of the adults were safely outside we moved into the foyer and blasted the music.

Everyone was dancing and talking and laughing as I stayed behind on the wall.

I do not dance.

Dom and Roxanne came over to me and handed me some punch.

"You guys look great!" I said. Dom was wearing a beautiful wine red gown with a tiara. Her long blonde hair was curled slightly at the ends and she had deep red lipstick that looked perfect with her pale skin. Her make-up was tastefully done as well. She looked freakin' gorgeous. Roxanne was gorgeous too. She had on a black and red can-can dress with a cute hat that had a feather sticking out of it. She had on dark eyeliner and that smokey eye look. Again, gorgeous. Lily looked the same but she didn't have a hat and her can-can dress was gold as was her make-up. Rose had a Muggle witch costume that I helped with. The skirt was shorter than she had originally wanted but Dom and I convinced her it was fine. The skirt was black and had orange frill underneath it that poofed out a bit; the blouse she was wearing was v-neck and was sleeveless. It had a bit of a corset look. It had thick orange ribbon that tied in the back and Victoire helped make a bow with the rest of the ribbon hanging down gracefully.

Scorpius couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Oh please. No one is going to look at us with you around." Dom said to me. I looked up at her quizzically and she rolled her eyes at me.

"Do you have any idea how bloody beautiful you look right now?" She asked me with a grin.

"Erm…no. And how can anyone look at me with all of you gorgeous Brits around?" I asked.

"Paislee. Did you see how everyone was looking at you when you came in?" Roxanne asked.

"Um…not exactly." I lied. I did see how James was looking at me and it made my stomach flip-flop just thinking about that look in his eyes.

"Paislee, they couldn't take their eyes off of you. Even Al was drooling." Dom said with a laugh.

"Ya'll are crazy." I said and rolled my eyes.

"Say what you want Paislee, but you are the star of the show tonight." Dom said with a wink at me as she left to go dance with Sean. Roxanne pulled me into the mix of dancers to dance with her. I resisted but then Lily saw what Roxanne was trying to do and she came over to help. And who do you think she helped? That's right, NOT me. She came and pulled on my cast encased arm and helped Roxanne drag me into the array of teenagers dancing.

"Guys I can't dance." I said.

"It's fine, just sway your hips back and forth and let the rhythm overtake you." Lily said as she did just that. Roxanne was doing the same thing and they were both smiling and laughing and it did look kinda fun so I joined them. We grabbed each other's hands and started dancing like idiots around in a circle. Pretty soon Dom and Rose joined and so did Hugo, Louis, Al, and Scorpius. We were all laughing so hard it was difficult to breathe and then the song ended. Everyone clapped as a slower song came on. I excused myself to get some punch. There was no way I was going to be the loser without a dance partner and if I looked busy it would seem I didn't want to dance with anyone. That was something I picked up when I went to a youth center dance one year with Kerianna, Britney, and Lisa.

I looked across the room and saw Scorpius dancing with Rose, Delton dancing with Lily, Dom dancing with Sean, Louis dancing with some girl that I assumed was either Rhys, Addisyn, or Kaelynn. Two of the girls were dressed like fairies and then the other girl was dressed…well…kinda…whorish. She was tall and pretty with deep red hair. She was in a Muggle cheerleading costume with the skirt barely reaching her mid-thigh. The top she was wearing showed off most of her stomach and she had her belly button pierced. Like I said…whorish. She and the other not whorish girl were talking to Freddie and James. Whore girl was flirting heavily with James. She was laughing at everything he said and touching his chest, shoulder, and arm any chance she got. I felt a stab of jealousy. Which is stupid of course because I don't like James. I mean, he's my friend but I don't like him like him.

Nope.

Definitely do not 'fancy' James.

However, I do fancy punching whore girl in the face.

"What a slag." I heard someone say next to me. I snapped my head towards the voice and saw Dom looking furious at James and whore girl.

"Slag?" I asked.

"It means slut." Dom said.

"Oh. Who is she?" I asked.

"That's Kaelynn. And unfortunately my dear cousin is vain enough to fancy her a bit. She has as much brains as troll." Dom said with disgust.

So that's Kaelynn. The stab of jealously I felt earlier came back in full force. Lily had said that James like this chick and now I could see it with my own eyes that James was falling for this girls charms.

"I dunno…he seems to think she's interesting." I muttered as he was describing something to her. He was gesturing with his hands and looked super excited and it looked as if she was absorbing every detail.

"She only wants him because he's bloody gorgeous and the most popular boy at school. She' s shallow, vile, and pathetic. I hate her. And my cousin is a total git if he gets with her." Dom said.

I said nothing, just stood there and stared. Finally another faster song came on and Dom was just about to drag me out onto the dance floor when Freddie stood up on the coffee table.

"Oi! Listen up you lot! We're going to play a game now." He said with a mischievous smile.

I didn't like the way that smile looked. Nothing good ever happens when Freddie smiles like that.

"And what game is that dear cousin?" Dom asked with a laugh.

"I do believe the Muggle's call it 'Spin the bottle.' And Mr. Man here gets to go first since it's his birthday party." Freddie said as he ushered a slightly embarrassed looking James to the floor. Roxanne excused herself from the game since she had a boyfriend and I went to follow her when Dom grabbed my arm and pulled me down.

"I don't want to play." I hissed at her.

"Too bad! You don't have a boyfriend so no one is going to let you not play. Roxanne has a boyfriend and has an excuse, you don't." Dom said firmly. I scowled at her and she smacked the back of my head.

"Ow! What was that for?" I asked as I rubbed my head.

"For your cheek." She said. I rolled my eyes.

Kaelynn was sitting directly across from James and she was leaning forward as if trying to will the bottle to land on her.

Stupid whore.

I hate her.

I don't even know her, but I hate her.

"Alright James, you go first." Freddie said.

"And what if it lands on one of my family members?" James asked. I could tell he wasn't exactly in favor of this game but that he was going along with it anyways.

"You spin again." Freddie said and clapped James on the back. James rolled his eyes as Freddie conjured a bottle and James spun it.

My heart was in my chest as I watched the bottle slow down and finally stop.

At me.

I looked up at James and he looked a bit stunned. I knew I was blushing furiously as everyone started wolf whistling and cat calling. James leaned forward and smirked at me.

"Well American?" He asked leaning even closer towards me. I said nothing but leaned in closer myself.

We were so close now that I could feel his breath on my face. My heart was pounding like crazy and I was sure everyone could hear its erratic beating. James reached out and grabbed my chin, tilting my face upwards as his lips touched mine.

It was a brief kiss but still…it was my first. James' lips were so soft and they seemed to like…fit mine. As if they were two puzzle pieces that completed one another. I had just a moment to savor the feeling when he pulled back. I opened my eyes and saw that James was breathing heavily like me. I sat back in a daze and barely heard Dom tell me it was my turn to spin.

"I'm sorry what?" I asked.

Dom laughed, "It's your turn to spin now."

"Oh okay." I said as I spun the bottle. It landed on Lily and everyone burst out into laughter. Lily laughed and came towards me and we made kissy noises at one another. Now it was Lily's turn and to her enjoyment it landed on Delton. James looked particularly miffed as Delton kissed his baby sister but he said nothing. Twenty minutes later and the game ended finally. Luckily James never had to kiss Kaelynn; he did however, have to kiss me two more times (not that I minded), and also kiss Rhys. Rhys was a pretty girl who was a sixth year Ravenclaw but the kiss was even briefer than mine and his. Lily seemed to always land on Delton and I wondered if maybe she bewitched it to do that. Dom had to kiss Sean, Delton and Braeden. Rose kissed Scorpius three times and Braeden once. Kaelynn seemed to always land on Freddie and Al. Addisyn landed on Al three times and on Freddie once. And of course I landed on James once, Freddie twice, and Al once. The game was kind of fun but I was thoroughly embarrassed to have kissed James and his little brother in the same night. Al was a good sport though and only kissed me on the cheek. There was an immediate uproar but he ignored everyone. It was close to midnight now and everyone was drinking Firewhiskey now. My Dad said I could have a glass and I tasted it. It truly did burn your throat and I poured the rest of the drink down the sink once I excused myself from Dom and Roxanne.

Everyone was dancing again and I was getting tired. I was having a blast don't get me wrong, but I was more than ready for bed. I was about to head there when I heard a rustle in the small room next to the kitchen. I walked towards it and my heart stopped.

The world seemed to stop moving. I could hear the blood rushing through my veins, felt it turning cold as I stood there and stared at the one scene that shouldn't bother me in the slightest but in all reality tore my heart out.

James was kissing Kaelynn.


	8. Chapter 8

We'd been back at Hogwarts for a week now and my cast was finally off. Madam Pomfrey gave me the go ahead to play Quidditch and the next match was Saturday. I was happy to be able to play again. It was about the only thing that made me happy lately.

James and Kaelynn were dating.

I tried my hardest to pretend like I didn't care but I wasn't fooling Dom and Roxanne and Starlene. The moment I entered the dorm after classes this afternoon I was bombarded by the three of them.

"What's wrong?" Starlene demanded.

"Nothing." I said as I sat on my bed and pulled my Potions book out.

"Liar. You've been moping all week." Starlene said.

"I have not been moping." I muttered as I opened my book to read the latest chapter that was set for homework.

"Don't make me hex you." Starlene threatened.

"You don't scare me." I muttered darkly. And that's when I remembered she'd already mastered non-verbal spells.

"I take it back!" I said quickly automatically hugging my knees to my chest and wrapping my hands around my middle to try and protect myself from her impending tickle hex.

Dom and Roxanne laughed.

"Then out with it. What's wrong?" Starlene asked pointing her wand at me. I sighed loudly and lay down on my bed, covering my face with a pillow.

"I don't honestly know to be honest." I said.

"How can you not know what's bothering you?" Roxanne asked. My bed dipped and I felt the three of them sitting on my bed.

"I'm just antsy all the time now. I can't concentrate on anything and every time I see Kaelynn I want to punch her lights out. She's annoying as all get out and I hate that James brings her everywhere we are. She watches him during Quidditch practice and cheers like a cheerleader high on crack every time he touches the dang Quaffle. I swear it's driving me up a freakin' wall." I said angrily.

The three girls started grinning. Widely.

It was rather scary.

"What?" I asked them sitting up.

"You fancy James." Starlene said with a smug grin.

"What? I do not!" I denied.

"Yes you do! You fancy James!" Dom agreed with Starlene.

"Ya'll are nuts." I said with an eye roll.

"Paislee think about it. You and James flirt all the time." Dom smacked me in the back of my head when I opened my mouth to protest. "Shut it Paislee, you do! He couldn't take his eyes off of you at his party. You kissed at least three times." That's when I interrupted again.

"It was a game!" I shouted.

"Maybe, but the way that you two kissed…it was as if you were in one of those Muggle movies. It was sweet looking and you should've seen your faces. You both look stunned, as if you couldn't believe what had just happened." Roxanne said.

"And now James has a girlfriend and you are jealous. You don't even know this girl but everything that she does drives you absolutely nuts. You're jealous because you fancy him." Starlene added.

I thought back to that first kiss. It truly was amazing. It was perfect and I found myself thinking about it all the time even though he has a girlfriend. And I've never hated anyone before in my life but I all of a sudden hate a girl I don't even know?

Could it be? Do I really like James?  
>Do I <em>like <em>him like him?

Oh no.

Oh this can't be happening. I finally have my first crush and it's on a boy that annoys the hell out of me and is unavailable.

"Oh no." I groaned out loud and fell back on the bed, covering my face with a pillow.

The girls erupted into a chorus of giggles and clapping.

"This is so exciting!" Dom shrieked.

"You and James would be perfect for each other! He's a complete prat and you're not! You'll balance each other perfectly!" Starlene said excitedly.

"No." I groaned. I don't want to think about it. Thinking will just make it hurt worse because he's with someone else now.

"Wait till James finds out!" Roxanne said.

I shot up from the bed.

"No! Don't say anything!" I practically screamed.

"Why not?" Dom asked standing up and putting her hands on her hips.

"Because I don't want him to know. It won't change anything." I said in a defeated tone.

"What do you mean? Of course it will! It'll change everything!" Dom insisted.

"No it won't! He's got a girlfriend Dom. I'm too late." I said and sat back down on the bed.

"Well she's a total slag! We all hate her. Even Al! And he likes everyone!" Starlene said.

"I don't care. I'm not going to be the 'other woman' so to speak. I'm not going to try and break them up because I like him." I said.

"I need some air." I said suddenly and ran out of the room. I heard Dom and the others yelling for me but I ignored them and continued running. I ran all the way out of the Common Room and was just about to run outside when I ran into something very solid. My head snapped back and I was about to fall when someone grabbed my elbow and stopped me from hitting the floor. I looked up and saw the absolute last person on the face of this earth that I wanted to see.

James.

"Whoa there American! Where's the fire?" He asked with a grin.

"N-nowhere." I panted. I practically melted when he put his hands on my shoulders and then tilted my chin up to look at him.

"You okay?" He asked his face getting a look of concern.

"I'm…I'm fine." I assured him.

"You sure? You look a bit peaky." James said.

"Uh…no, no. I'm fine. I promise. I just needed to get away for a little while that's all." I said stepping back and around him to go outside. A walk around the Black Lake sounded like a good idea. A chance to clear my head. I marched down the stone pathway when I heard James calling.

"American! Oi! American!" He yelled but I kept walking. I really wanted to be alone. "Paislee wait up!" He said. I turned around and saw him jogging towards me.

"What James?" I asked as I turned around and continued walking.

"What's your rush? And why do you need to get 'away for a little while?'" He asked as he shoved his hands in his pocket and walked with me.

"I dunno. Just felt claustrophobic all of a sudden." I said.

It wasn't a lie. I really did feel claustrophobic and that was why I needed air. I just didn't tell him _why_ I was feeling claustrophobic.

"Why were you feeling claustrophobic?" He asked.

Of course he'd ask that.

"I dunno." I lied. James tilted his head and looked at me with a quizzical expression. I shrugged my shoulders and walked towards the bench by the lake. I sat down and James sat down next to me. James put his hands behind his head and grinned at me.

"Are you ready for Saturday's match? Helmet ready to go?" He asked.

"Hardy har, har." I muttered.

"Just yanking your wand." He said. I looked over at him and he grinned again and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Ah, there it is." James said.

"There what is?" I asked.

"That lovely smile."

I blushed furiously and he chuckled.

"And there is that famous blush of yours. So easy to summon." James said with a smirk.

"Shut up." I said and nudged him in the ribs with my elbow.

We sat there in silence for a few minutes and I was desperately trying not to scream at James and ask him why he was with the whore.

"Some party huh?" James asked suddenly. I looked up at him with a confused expression. "My party, last week. It was fun wasn't it?"

"Erm…yeah. It was fun. I haven't been to too many parties in my life but out of the three I've been to yours was the best." I said with a laugh. James chuckled.

"Thanks. I don't remember too much of it actually, I was too pissed." James said.

"Why were you pissed? I thought you were having a good time?" I asked him confused as to why he was angry at his party.

"Did you not see the vast amount of alcohol I consumed?" James asked with a grin.

"Yes, but that doesn't explain why you were pissed." I said still confused.

And then James threw his head back and laughed, hard.

It was a rather nice sound. He should laugh more often.

"Pissed means drunk." James said once his laughter died down.

"Well in America it means angry." I told him with a scowl.

"You have the strangest meanings for words." James said with a shake of his head.

"Says the Britian. I swear I haven't had this much trouble with words since I was three and had a lisp." I said with an eye roll. James laughed at that.

"I bet that was adorable." James said.

"Not as adorable as you putting on your Mom's make-up when you were four." I said with a sly smile.

Ginny and Harry told me some very interesting childhood stories of James.

Can we say blackmail?

I looked up and saw James eyes narrowed at me.

"What did you just say?" He asked. I grinned maliciously.

"I said, not as adorable as you putting on your Mom's make-up when you were four." I said emphasizing each word.

"And who told you this story?" James asked.

"I have my sources." I said.

James stood up.

"Who told?" He asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"My lips are sealed Britain." I said with a smirk. James smirked back.

"There are ways of making people talk." He said and made a move towards his wand. I did the same and we both shouted, '_Expelliarmus_.' Our wands flew out of our hands at the same time and we both looked at each other.

And then I ran.

I was small and had a good burst of speed and truly thought I could tire him out before he could catch me.

Oh how wrong I was.

I felt an arm snake around my waist and then I was pulled to the ground. Each of us was trying to get the upper hand as we rolled on the ground, until finally James pinned me on the ground. I glared up at him and tried to push him off but he easily grabbed both of my hands and pinned them above my head.

"You can't make me talk." I told him and stuck my tongue out at him. He laughed and then transferred my wrists into one of his hands, freeing his right hand.

"I think I can." He said with a grin.

My breathing was labored and my heart was beating erratically as James shifted slightly on top of me. I could feel the warmth of his skin through his uniform. My skirt had risen a few inches and his pants were rubbing against my bare skin and I felt myself blush.

"Think my child hood stories are funny?" He asked.

"Yeah, I do." I said.

"Really?"

"And not just funny, hilarious." I said with a smirk.

"Is that a fact?" He asked.

I nodded.

"I'll give you something to laugh about." James said. I had a second's realization before his hands found my sides.

I gasped and tried to bring my hands down but his grip was too tight. I clamped my mouth shut and tried to keep the laughter that was threatening to come out, in.

"Oh come now American you wanted to laugh earlier, don't stop now." James said. I shook my head from side to side in a non-verbal 'No.'

And then James went for that awful spot on my ribs and I lost it.

"J-James! Stop!" I shouted through my laughter.

Have I mentioned how absurdly ticklish I am?

James caught on to my reaction and kept his hand on that spot, fingers stroking slow and spidery. It gave me a moment to take in a gulp of air and then his fingers sped up and dug in again. I exploded in a fit of giggles.

"P-plehehease!" I begged. James moved from my ribs to under my arms and I shrieked with laughter and couldn't stop myself from bucking up.

James lost his balance and had to release my hands to stop himself from falling on me. He had his arms braced on each side of my head and our faces were so close I could see the light freckles that spread across his nose I saw a slight smile playing on his lips and I couldn't help but smile back at him. His head started coming towards me slowly and I closed my eyes in preparation for the kiss we both wanted.

"James! Hey James are you out here?" A girl's voice called. James' head snapped up and he got off of me quickly. I scrambled to my feet and quickly smoothed out my clothes. Luckily we were behind a tree so the whore didn't see us. I tried to steady my breathing as James walked out from behind the tree.

"Hey Kaelynn." James said with that smile of his. His charm was back in full force and Kaelynn was sucked right into it.

"What are you doing way out here?" She asked in that sickly sweet voice of hers. I picked up our wands and walked to where they were standing.

"He was helping me with a few spells for DADA. I'm kinda rusty on non-verbal spells." I said and handed James back his wand. He looked gratefully at me and I smiled an extremely fake smile.

"Oh Jimmy! You are the sweetest guy ever!" Kaelynn said and wrapped her arms around his neck. James patted her back clumsily and it looked as if he wanted to roll his eyes but he stopped himself. "Helping out that poor foreigner. You always take up lost causes." Kaelynn said.

Stupid-whore-that-totally-stole-my-future-husband, say what?

"Lost causes? Listen here you-" But I was interrupted by Starlene.

"Paislee! There you are silly! I've been looking for you for ages! C'mon, Dom and Roxanne are already saving us seats for dinner." Starlene said with a fierce look in her eyes. I was about to ignore her and hex Kaelynn when Starlene roughly grabbed my arm and started dragging me towards the castle.

"See you around American." James said.

"Bye Pasty!" Kaelynn said with a sneer that only Starlene and I could see.

"It's Paislee!" I shouted at her and then allowed Starlene to drag me. James would be ticked off if I killed his girlfriend so it was probably best to let Starlene take me away.

When we were safely inside of the castle Starlene let out a string of curse words. I blushed at some of the things she was saying and tried to calm her down as we made our way into the Great Hall. McGonagall would give her a month's worth of detention if she heard what was coming out of Starlene's mouth. We found the rest of the crew and sat down and finally Starlene stopped swearing. Everyone's mouths were open and gaping at Starlene and me.

"Bloody hell woman, where'd you learn to talk like that?" Freddie asked with a grin.

"Probably the internet." I muttered.

"The what?" Al asked.

"Nothing. She's just a bit angry." I replied.

"Angry doesn't even begin to describe it! Kaelynn was a total bint to Paislee and James just stood there and let her!" Starlene said as she crammed food onto her plate.

"What happened?" Al asked.

"Nothing! Starlene's just overreacting." I insisted and sent a look at Starlene which she promptly ignored.

"It wasn't nothing! She called her a 'lost cause' and a 'poor foreigner' and then she called her Pasty instead of Paislee when she knows damn well what Paislee's name is." Starlene said through a mouthful of food.

Everyone gasped.

"Paislee is this true?" Dom asked.

I squirmed in my seat.

"Uh…yeah kinda. I was going to say something when Starlene stopped me and dragged me in here." I said and scowled at her.

"I was saving you thank you very much. You don't know Kaelynn like we do." Starlene said darkly. "She's very close to some very influential professors. One wrong word or action and she can have you kicked off the Quidditch team, have detention for the next month, or be forced to partner with Slytherin's in every Potions class."

"She doesn't scare me. I can handle myself just fine thank you very much." I said and started piling food onto my own plate.

"Starlene's right Paislee. On top of all that Kaelynn's a prefect and not just a prefect, _the_ prefect. She's Head Girl." Roxanne said.

"And?" I asked not exactly sure what Head Girl meant.

"She has about the same amount of authority as a professor does Paislee." Dom said.

"Oh." I said my heart dropping.

"What were you and James doing over there anyway?" Dom asked and I immediately felt my face heat up.

"She's blushing!" Freddie said with a laugh and I threw him a dirty look.

"We were just talking." I muttered.

"Sure you were." Rose said with a sly smile and Scorpius laughed.

"Oh shut up." I said and started eating. Everyone was giggling and speculating on what James and I were doing. Some of the suggestions made me blush even harder and I vehemently denied all of them. The table got quiet as James and Kaelynn entered the Great Hall.

"Speaking of total bints." Starlene muttered under her breath. I shot her look. James waved to us and everyone put on fake smiles and waved back.

"Oi, Freddie. I have a few new plays in mind for this Saturday's match. I need you to look over them with me and tell me what you think." James said while piling food on his plate.

"Sure thing mate. After dinner then?" Freddie asked. James nodded.

"Jimmy, I'm going to go and sit with a few of my friends. I'll see you tomorrow morning ok?" Kaelynn said.

"See you in the morning then." James said. Kaelynn smiled and leaned down and kissed James right there in front of everyone. And of course it wasn't just a quick peck, oh no, it was a looong and thoroughly wet sounding kiss. I averted my eyes and squeezed my fork so tightly in my hands my knuckles were turning white. Al and Scorpius started making gagging noises and they finally pulled apart. At least James had the decency to look embarrassed. His cheeks were slightly pink and he cleared his throat loudly before digging in to his food.

"Next time, snog your girlfriend while I'm not eating." Al said as he pushed his plate away with a look of disgust on his face.

"I agree with Al." Hugo said pushing his plate away as well.

"Hughie, you still owe me a chess game." Al said standing up.

"Oh cousin, when will you ever learn? I'm just going to slaughter you. Again." Hugo said with a smug smile.

"We'll see about that. I've been practicing." Al said with a look of confidence.

Everyone but me snorted.

"Well thanks for the vote of confidence you sorry lot!" Al said with a scowl at his friends and family.

"Sorry little brother, but you could practice every day for the rest of your life and still not beat Hugo. He's had special training from Uncle Ron who is the king of all that is wizard chess." James said.

"Sod off _Jimmy_." Al said in a perfect imitation of Kaelynn. Everyone started laughing and James flipped Al off as Hugo, Al, Scorpius, and Rose all left the table

"They're truly perfect for one another." Roxanne said with a smile as we watched Rose and Scorpius walk closely together.

"He better be good to her, especially if he wants to keep his man bits." James said. Freddie nodded in agreement.

"Do you honestly think Scorpius would do anything to hurt Rose?" Lily asked with an annoyed expression on her face.

"No but it just goes without saying that if he _did_ then Freddie and I will remove his man bits." James said not even looking at his little sister.

"You're such a prat James." Lily said with an exasperated sigh.

"What? It's true. And the same goes for any bloke who tries anything with you." James retorted.

"Who I date is none of your business." Lily said.

Uh-oh. This was going to get loud and angry really fast.

I looked up and saw Starlene, Roxanne, and Dom all looking at me with the same unspoken thought.

Get the hell out of there before Lily exploded.

"Uh…I think I need to go ask Professor Longbottom for some pointers on today's homework." I said as I scrambled out of my seat. Everyone but Lily and James agreed and followed me quickly out of the hall just as we heard Lily screeching something about 'sexist prats.'

The next day I was up at the break of dawn for another hellish Quidditch practice. James truly was a tyrant. We had just finished with our warm up (which of course consisted of ten laps around the pitch with jumping jacks and sit-ups in between each lap) and were now working on the new play James had made. He named the play 'Hedwig's Last Flight' which was apparently his Dad's first owl who died trying to protect him. 'Hedwig's Last Flight' consisted of me and James passing the Quaffle back and forth to one another at varying speeds until I threw it to Lily and she would then throw it in one of the goals. While this was going on, Delton and Freddie would be pounding the Bludger towards the other players as much as possible to distract them and keep them on their toes. James told Delton and Freddie that they needed to keep their movements choppy and random so that the next target couldn't be deciphered easily. With the Puff's thoroughly distracted Al would be able to find the Snitch and win the game. If used properly this play could actually be pretty awesome.

"Alright now American, you see that line?" James suddenly shouted to me. I looked at him and with a flick of his wand he marked the ground about twenty feet from where I floated on my broomstick with a huge yellow X. He made a few more with the same amount of distance in between each one. I nodded.

"Good! I need you to come to a complete halt once you reach that X. Do not slow down at all until you are at that X. The Puff's won't know what hit em' once you stop." James said.

I nodded.

"James, are you sure about this? What if she falls?" Lily asked with a worried expression.

"I won't fall Lily. I'll just hang on extra tight." I assured her with a grin. Lily shook her head and sighed before flying up above James and me.

"Alright then! Go!" James yelled as he threw the Quaffle to me and I sped towards the X. I felt so…good! I loved going as fast as possible on my broom. I felt free and all my worries seemed to fade away into the wind. I was right above the X and I came to a complete halt. My whole body surged forward and I used that momentum to thrust the ball as hard as I could towards James who surged off to the next X. I zoomed off towards the next X, staying slightly behind James so he could throw the Quaffle to me which he did. I snatched and zoomed off to the last X coming to another complete stop. I threw the Quaffle above me as hard as I could and Lily caught it and slammed it through the first hoop. Scorpius tried to block it but he missed it by an inch. Scorpius swore but grinned at James.

"That was brilliant! The Puff's won't know what hit em! Now I want to practice this move a few more times before we call it quits for the day." James said. I was actually excited to practice this move because it was rather awesome. James really had a knack for coming up with plays. We practiced the move a few more times and then Kaelynn came by and started cheering for James in the stands.

Everyone started groaning.

"James, please tell your girlfriend to leave. I can't concentrate with her shouting like that; this is supposed to be practice for goodness sakes!" Al said. James blushed furiously when Kaelynn's voice picked up an octave and she kept calling him Jimmy.

"I swear to Merlin…" I whispered angrily to Lily who looked at me sympathetically.

"Alright you lot. Great practice! Remember that tomorrow is our last practice before the match so I've booked the pick for 6am and then again right after dinner. Hit the showers team." James shouted to us and then he zoomed over to Kaelynn, doing a few loop de loops.

Stupid show off.

All rolled his eyes and Freddie roared with laughter. I touched down and shouldered my broom and stalked off to the girl's changing room. I slammed my locker shut after getting my change of clothes and jumped in the shower. I heard Lily come in and soon the shower right next to mine came on.

"Your brother is a show-offy git." I said with a British accent. Lily laughed at that.

"Quite right you are Paislee. I have no idea what he sees in that slag."

"Yeah well I'm going to throw up the next time I see her." I muttered angrily.

I hate being in love.

It sucks.

"I agree." Lily said.

We both finished showering and got dressed for classes and then made our way to the Great Hall. We spotted the rest of the crew excluding Roxanne as she was with Ashton at the Ravenclaw table and so was James as he was sitting with the Whore.

"Good morning American and dear cousin of mine!" Freddie said brightly. Starlene waved and started chatting excitedly with Dom about the upcoming Christmas ball.

"Another party?" I asked incredulously.

"It's more of a dance. There's a lot of classical music in the beginning, but then there's always a band that comes in after about half an hour and the real fun begins." Starlene said.

"And let me guess…this is a formal affair?" I asked already groaning inwardly.

"You got that right American. I love the annual Christmas Ball, sexy women in short dresses…ah, nothing better." Freddie said dreamily.

"You are such a prat!" Dom said with a laugh.

"So it's a month away and we need to start planning on what we're going to wear. The next Hogsmeade trip we should all go and pick dresses before all the good ones are gone." Starlene said.

Dom nodded excitedly.

"Do you blokes have any girls in mind that you want to ask to the ball?" Rose asked.

"I have a few prospects in mind." Freddie said with a suggestive smile.

"I asked Annabeth yesterday." Hugo said without looking up.

"WHAT?" Came the shocked cry of the whole table.

I squeaked in surprise and Hugo jumped slightly as well.

"What?" Hugo asked his family and friends.

"Way to go Hughie!" Freddie said and ruffled Hugo's red hair. Hugo swatted Freddie's hand away.

"Sod off Freddie." Hugo said while trying to restrain a smile.

"Who's Annabeth?" I asked.

"A fifth year Gryffindor. She's one of my dorm mates." Lily said. "She's super nice and very pretty. She didn't, however, tell me that you had asked her Hugo. I'm going to have to have a nice little chat with her later on this afternoon."

"She said yes and she's already made plans on having dinner with me this evening so I'll be sitting at the other end of the table and you lot will be sitting as far away from us as possible." Hugo said with a pointed look at his family.

"Oh Hughie, come now. Don't you want to introduce your new girlfriend to you closest friends and family?" Starlene asked in an overly sweet voice.

"No I don't. Stay away or I start spilling the beans on what you lot did last summer, understand?" Hugo asked. The table started groaning but then obliged after a few minutes of protests.

"Excellent. I've got to ask Professor Barden a few questions before class. See you lot later." Hugo said with a smug smile. He left and a petite girl with blonde hair stood up and followed him out.

"Is that Annabeth?" I asked. Freddie grinned wickedly and shook his head yes.

"She's a looker alright. Looks like our Hughie is taking after his favorite cousin." Freddie said.

"Well Hugo's going with Annabeth, James will obviously be going with Kaelynn, what about the rest of you blokes?" Lily asked.

Al, Freddie, and Scorpius all squirmed slightly in their seats. I stifled a giggle at how uncomfortable they all looked. Hugo was younger than all of them and he already had a date, their little cousin was showing them up.

"Well, like I've said I have a few prospects in mind, but I'm not up to sharing quite yet until I've asked her." Freddie said

"I think I'll wait a bit longer before asking anyone. We've got a month so there's still plenty of time." Al said. And then all eyes turned to Scorpius. It was a well-known fact with the Potter and Weasley family that Scorpius and Rose were meant to be together. The family had been pushing those two closer and closer ever since James' party.

"Uh…well…I do have…erm…one girl in mind…" Scorpius trailed off and snuck another glance at Rose.

"Come on guys, let's get to class…erm…I need to ask Professor Longbottom a question." I said and ushered everyone but Scorpius and Rose out of the Great Hall.

After classes I went straight up to the Owlery to write my Dad and friends. I informed the girls of James' party and the upcoming ball. Dad would probably tell me that the boy who asked me to the dance had to ask him first. He was old fashioned like that. After writing my letters I went to the dorms and changed into some Muggle clothes. I wasn't one for make-up and girly girl stuff. I pulled on a pair of skinny jeans and a black and pink plaid shirt with a pink cami underneath and slipped on my chucks then made my way down the stairs into the common room. Rose, Dom, Roxanne, Lily, and Starlene were downstairs and talking excitedly. They all shrieked when they saw me. I jumped slightly, startled as they ran to me and dragged me down to the floor where they were all sitting.

"Scorpius asked me to the ball!" Rose practically screamed. I gasped in mock surprise and hugged her.

"That's great Rose!" I said. I looked around and noticed that no one else was in the common room.

"We scared em' off." Starlene said with a wide smile.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" I asked with a wry smile.

"It's for the best. Now Rose was just about to tell us how he asked." Dom said.

"Well once you lot left he sat closer to me. I could tell he was nervous so I tried to make it easier for him by looking away slightly instead of right in his eyes. He cleared his throat loudly and then grabbed my face with both of his hands and kissed me! It was so romantic! And right after he kissed me he asked me to not only the ball but to be his girlfriend!" Rose shrieked the last part. We all started screaming and hugging Rose and gushing over how romantic Scorpius was and how he was going to be the perfect boyfriend etc. All of a sudden there was pounding footstep sounds coming from the boys' dorms and then Al, Scorpius, James, and Freddie appeared.

James really is too gorgeous for words. It's unfair. And it also isn't fair that he is taken by someone who is not me.

I hate my life.

"What the bloody hell are you females screaming about?" Freddie asked while rubbing his ears.

"Nothing." Rose said all too quickly and blushing furiously.

"No need to blush cousin we already know everything." James said with a smirk. Scorpius rubbed his neck sheepishly and shrugged.

"They ambushed me." He muttered. We laughed at that.

"It's alright Rosie, we approve…so far." Freddie said as he grabbed Scorpius around the neck and gave the blonde headed boy a noggie.

"Sod off Freddie!" Scorpius said wriggling his way out of Freddie's grasp.

"I think it's brilliant." Al said and slapped Scorpius' back good naturedly.

"Me too." Lily said with a bright smile to Rose.

"Me three." I said and smiled as well.

"Well that's settled then isn't it? What say you we prank the Slytherin's during dinner?" James asked with a nudge towards Freddie.

"You read my mind cousin." Freddie said and promised to meet him in the Great Hall in twenty minutes. Once James was gone I released a breath I hadn't even noticed I'd been holding. The girls turned and looked at me with pitying expressions and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm fine ya'll. Really I am." I assured them.

"Come off it Paislee. We know you're not okay and we know you fancy James." Freddie said. My eyes grew wide and I looked at Dom with an incredulous expression.

"I didn't say anything!" Dom said quickly and she did look genuinely surprised.  
>"No one said anything to us Paislee. We've known for a while now." Al said.<p>

"How?" I asked as my voice gained a few octaves.

"It's written all over your face Paislee. Plus once you two kissed at his party…well…let's just say girls get this look and you definitely had the look." Al said. Freddie nodded in agreement. I sighed loudly and lay on the floor.

"This is just fan-freaking-tastic." I grumbled. Everyone laughed.

"If it makes you feel any better we would all approve of you and James." Scorpius said. I snorted.

"Sure…that makes me feel loads better. His family would approve of us dating and yet we can't because he's dating the Whore." I said.

"Despite what you may think James fancies you too." Al said and I snorted again. "It's true Paislee. He thinks you're bloody gorgeous."

"Spare my life." I said and threw an arm over my face.

"Half the school thinks you're bloody gorgeous actually. I've even heard a few Slytherin's comment on your bod…er…features." Freddie said carefully. I felt my face heat up and I groaned.

Great now people were talking about me behind my back.

"I know what we need to do!" Dom said suddenly with an excited sound to her voice. I groaned even more and she smacked my head.

"Ouch! Freaking-A Dom!" I said sitting up and rubbing my head.

"Shut it Paislee. Listen you lot we need to break James and the Whore up." Dom said. There murmurs of agreement and Freddie inserted a 'Here here!'

"And how do you suppose we do that?" I asked with doubt in my voice.

"We get James to realize how crazy he is about you." Dom said simply.

I rolled my eyes.

"James isn't crazy about me. He's crazy about Kaelynn." I said sadly.

"No he isn't. He's in lust with her." Lily said and Roxanne nodded.

"I agree with Dom. Oh my gosh this is gonna be fun! We can dress Paislee up every morning and apply her make-up and do her hair! She'll be even more gorgeous and all the blokes will be ogling her and James will be wicked mad with jealousy!" Starlene said at about 100 miles per hours.

"What? No freaking way in hell! I don't do make-up and all that girly girl crap." I protested. I was not about to parade around like some dolled up skank. I'm leaving that for the Whore.

"Someone silence her please." Starlene said and then Lily jumped up and wrapped her hand around my mouth while Freddie hugged me in a deathly tight bear hug, keeping me from moving.

I hate these people.

"Alright then. We're all agreed then? Operation Get James to Dump his Ugly Slag and Go for Paislee is now commencing." Dom said. I struggled to say that I did not agree but they all just laughed at me and assured me their plan would work and that I 'needn't worry my American self.'

Worst plan ever? I think yes.


	9. Chapter 9

The next few days I was pricked, polished, waxed (I don't wanna talk about it), and scrubbed to a bloody pulp. I swear I freakin' glow in the dark. Starlene was in full 'Make Paislee Pretty' mode. She ordered at least thirty galleons worth of make-up and beauty products and even had them shipped the next day. Starlene's owl was currently being patched up after an attack from a Slytherin's owl so she borrowed mine. Poor Alura was so tired. She had returned with my letters from my friends and my Dad and was immediately sent to give the order for the crap, I mean _beautifying miracles_. The products came in and like I said before I was tortured. And now here I was on Monday morning looking at myself in the mirror and hardly recognizing the girl staring back at me. My blonde hair was curled in short ringlets with my bangs swooped to the side. My eyebrows were shapely now and I had eyeliner, mascara, and eye shadow. Starlene said it was the 'smoky eye look.' I had about a pound of foundation on and my light spread of freckles that normally were prominent across my nose, could no longer be seen. And my lips had been painted a dark yet slightly natural looking pink. The only thing keeping me from immediately wiping off all of the gunk on my face was Starlene's threat to tickle torture me in the middle of the Great Hall. And she would do it too.

Stupid, bossy Brit.

We won our match Saturday by the way. 387 to 40. The Puffs sucked. Their captain, Felicia Jackson, was crying in the bathroom yesterday. Apparently she never wanted to be captain but was too scared to say anything to McGonagall about it. I scored the most points of the match so I was rather popular in the Gryffindor house now, which was weird because I was known as the weird American transfer student who was taken under the wing of the Weasley/Potter clan. And now I was calling even more attention to myself.

Insert sigh here.

"C'mon Paislee, if you don't move your arse we're going to be late for breakfast and therefore late for classes!" Roxanne said. I rolled my eyes.

"Do I really have to do this?" I asked using my best puppy dog eyes.

"Oh don't give us that Paislee, your puppy dog eyes aren't going to work this time round. And yes you do have to do this. Do you want James to dump the Whore?" Starlene asked.

"Yes, but-"

"Do you want him to realize he fancies you?" Dom interrupted.

"Of course, but-"

"Do you want him to ask you out and a few years down the road ask for your hand in marriage, then marry you, get a house in the country, have a few kids, and grow old together living happily ever after?" Roxanne asked. All of us turned our eyes on her and had the same expression of incredulousness on our faces.

"What? I have an imagination too you know." Roxanne said and crossed her arms over her chest and upturned her nose at us.

We burst out laughing then.

"Well, I don't know about that last part but I guess I don't have a choice in this. I mean it's only my life ya'll are screwing with here. I'm so glad I met you bossy skanks." I said sarcastically. They laughed at me and dragged me down the stairs and into the Great Hall. I struggled but they were stronger than me and before I knew it I was thrown into the front of our group and every turned and looked at me.

Insert gulp here.

I swallowed thickly and tried to look as nonchalant as possible but I had a feeling I was failing miserably. I could already feel myself blushing like crazy at the way people were staring at me. I could hear the girls snickering behind me and I threw them a look over my shoulder and they sobered quickly.

We finally made it to the end of the Gryffindor table where everyone else was sitting. I shot a quick glance at James but he hadn't noticed me yet. The Whore wasn't there, thank Merlin. The girls suddenly ran in front of me and sat down first and of course now the only seat was the one that was right between Freddie and James.

Jerks.

I mean Gits.

I had to walk all the way around the other end in order to get my seat and I as I did Starlene opened her big fat mouth.

"Is it okay if Paislee sits next to you blokes? Roxanne wants to eat breakfast with us this morning since Ashton is eating lunch with his little brother." Starlene said. James looked at her and smiled and I felt my stomach flutter.

"Of course Starlene I would love for the…American…to…" James trailed off as he saw me. Of course that made my face heat up even more and I found myself praying that the pound of foundation was hiding my blush.

"Bloody hell American. What did you do?" Freddie asked as he took a long look up and down my body. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Jeez Freddie keep it in your pants." I said and sat down. James immediately turned and did a full body look as well. I had to keep myself from smirking.

"Uh…you look…really…erm…" James struggled and I heard Al laugh.

"You look bloody amazing Paislee. Don't get me wrong, you've always looked amazing but now it's like…highlighted or something." Al said.

"Thanks Al." I said shyly.

"What's with it though? The make-up and what not?" Freddie asked. Of course Freddie knew exactly why but he had to pretend he didn't. And I had to pretend that I didn't know that Freddie was pretending.

This was getting confusing.

I shrugged and sent a death glare towards Dom and Starlene. They were the two main culprits.

"Just felt like it." I muttered non-convincingly.

"Really?" James asked slightly skeptical.

"Yes really. I wanted a change and decided to do something about it. Why? Can't a girl try and look nice?" I asked as my temper flared.

"No of course you can. Sorry, didn't mean anything by it." James said and I scowled at him and then started eating.

"Well I think it's great." Lily said encouragingly.

"Me too." Rose said.

"Me three." A voice said from behind me. I turned and it was Braeden, the boy from James' party.

My eyes widened and I felt the blush come back.

"Hi Paislee." Braeden said.

"H-Hi Braeden. How are you?" I asked a bit shakily.

"I'm doing pretty well. How are you?" He asked.

"I-I'm fine."

"Would you like to take a quick walk with me?" He asked.

Oh my gosh.

Here was a pretty attractive guy asking me to take a walk with him.

What do I do?

I turned to look at my friends and the girls were nodding encouragingly and so was Al, Scorpius, and Freddie. I turned around and stood up.

"Yeah. Sure." I said.

Braeden grinned and motioned for me to go in front of him. I looked back once more and saw my friends staring at us as we walked out of the hall. Starlene gave me a saucy wink and I rolled my eyes.

Braeden and I walked all the way to the outside hall that connected the common's grounds (where students just hung out outside) and the Great Hall. It was pretty chilly and I covered my arms with my hands.

"Oh I'm so sorry. I didn't notice you didn't have a coat or a jumper." Braeden said while taking off his own pea coat and handing it to me.

"Oh don't worry about-"

"I insist." Braeden interrupted. He held the coat out for me and I slipped my arms through it. It smelled really good, like this boy had a 300 galleon cologne collection or something.

"Better?" He asked.

"Much." I said and smiled.

"You know, I've been trying for weeks to get the courage to talk to you." He said.

Insert jaw drop here.

"Seriously?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes. You see, you're extremely pretty, and smart, and talented, and wicked awesome on the Quidditch pitch. You intimidate me." Braeden said.

"I intimidate you?" I asked with disbelief.

"Yes. But I think I have enough guts to finally ask you."

"Ask me what?" I asked rather breathlessly.

This was the first time in my life that a boy ever pursued me. And he was really cute. Braeden had chocolate brown hair that was kind of long. He had bangs that fell slightly in his eyes and a bit of side burns too. His hair was straight and hit the collar of his shirt in the back. He had light brown eyes that seemed kind. He was built too, a bit skinnier than James though. But still very attractive.

"If you would like to accompany me to the Christmas ball?" Braeden asked rather shyly.

"Uh…you really w-wanna ask me? Like, for real?" I asked. Braeden chuckled and then grabbed my hands in his.

"Yes. I really want to take you. 'Like for real'" He said the last part in a rather good American accent. I threw my head back and laughed.

"That was really good." I told him.

"Yeah well, I've been practicing. Trying to impress you with my amazing American accent skills." Braeden said.

"Well you're pretty spot on."

"So…" Braeden said and looked as if he was waiting on me to say something.

"So…Oh right! You need an answer!" I said suddenly and Braeden laughed.

"Well that would be nice." He told me.

"Of course I'll go to the ball with you." I told him as my stomach started doing flip flops.

"Excellent." Braeden said with a huge grin. He had dimples on his cheeks and they made him look rather adorable.

"Thank you for asking me." I told him. I wasn't really sure what else to say.

"Oh please, thank you for saying yes! I was sure you'd say no." Braeden said as we turned to walk back towards the Great Hall.

"Why would I say no?" I asked genuinely curious.

"Because you're bloody gorgeous and smart and talented and if I made the wrong move I'm pretty sure you could transfigure me into a newt." Braeden said.

I snorted.

"You make me sound like some popular Muggle cheerleader in high school." I told him. He laughed.

"Like I said. You intimidate me." He said.

"Well don't be intimidated. I'm pretty boring." I warned.

"I highly doubt that. But, I do look forward to getting to know you better. Would you like to maybe meet up sometime at the next Hogsmeade trip?" He asked.

"I'd love to! But, I did promise to go dress shopping with a few of my friends. Would you mind meeting up afterwards?" I asked.

"Sure. We could meet at the Three Broomsticks at, say, 4?" He asked.

"Yes. That'd be perfect." I told him.

We had reached the Great Hall again.

"I look forward to it then." Braeden said and smiled.

"Me too. Oh and here's your coat back. Thank you for letting me borrow it." I said taking it off and handing to him. I immediately felt sad at the loss of the warmth and the enticing smell.

"Anytime. I've got to get to class early, I promised to help Professor Lupin set up for today's lesson." Braeden said.

"Oh okay." I said rather lamely.

"See you in class then. And of course on Saturday." Braeden said with a wink.

Have I mentioned I'm a sucker for a winker?

"Yeah, see you then." I said and before I could turn around Braeden bent down and kissed me on my cheek.

I felt my face heat up instantly and I laughed clumsily and stumbled as I turned to walk back to my friends.

I clumsily made my way back down to the table and everyone just stared at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked nonchalantly as I took a sip of pumpkin juice.

"You have five seconds to tell us what happened before I throw a temper tantrum!" Lily said angrily.

I laughed and waited.

Roxanne, Dom, Starlene, Lily, and Rose were leaning forward and towards me as if they were scared they would miss something. Even Al, Scorpius, and Freddie look interested.

Finally I said, "He asked me to the ball!"

The table erupted in shrieks of happiness and clapping.

The other tables were startled and stared at us. A few of the Puff's chuckled good naturedly and a few Ravenclaw's did as well. The Slytherin table sneered at us and rolled their eyes.

"Oh my gosh Paislee that is so exciting!" Starlene gushed.

"He's bloody handsome too." Dom added.

"He also asked me to hang out with him at the Three Broomstick's at 4." I said and found myself unable to hide my excitement.

"That's great!" Rose said.

"Much better than Madam Puddifoot's place. That place gives me the creeps." Freddie said with a shudder.

"Is that the place covered in pink nonsense?" I asked and everyone nodded. "I'd deck him if he asked me to go there."

"Good on you American. Braeden's a nice bloke. I'm glad it was him that asked you." Freddie said and ruffled my hair. I slapped at his hands and fixed my hair back.

"Yeah, we miss him on the team. No offense mate." Freddie said to Delton.

"None taken. He was pretty brilliant." Delton responded with a smile.

"We're lucky to have someone just as brilliant replace him then. Braeden's great though Paislee. Right James?" Al said. The last part was said rather slyly and James finally looked at me.

He looked…

Well…he looked kinda pissed. And the American version of pissed, not the British version.

"What?" He asked as if in a trance.

"Braeden. We were all just talking about how great it is that Paislee and Braeden are starting to get together." Al said with an eye roll at his brother's cluelessness.

"Oh yeah. Brilliant. Braeden's brilliant. I've got to go. Got to meet Kaelynn before class." James said. And without another word he got up and left.

"Oh he is so angry." Al said rather happily.

I didn't feel quite as happy about this.

I don't want to piss James off. I don't even really want to make him jealous. I just wanted him to hurry up and dump the Whore and ask me to be his girlfriend. Is that too much to ask?

"This is excellent. Stage one in Operation Get James to Dump his Ugly Slag and Go for Paislee is now complete." Dom said. I rolled my eyes.

"Alright, well come on everyone. Classes start in fifteen minutes, we should get going." Roxanne said and Rose nodded in agreement. Everyone but Scorpius groaned. Scorpius actually grinned at everyone and gave Rose a quick peck on the cheek before grabbing his bag and then hers and offering her his free hand they walked out of the Great Hall together. Lily, Delton, and Al not trailing too far behind.

"Where's Hugo?" I asked. I barely ever saw the kid and felt slightly guilty like maybe he didn't hang out with his family because I was around so often.

"He's with Annabeth. The two of them are pretty serious now and he's trying his hardest to keep her from meeting with us too often. He's afraid we'll embarrass him or something." Freddie said with an eye roll as we walked towards Teddy's class.

"I wonder why he thinks that?" I asked sarcastically.

"Me too. It's like he doesn't trust us or something." Freddie said and even pouted a bit.

"You're such a prat Freddie." Starlene said with a laugh and nudged Freddie with her elbow. He gave her a crooked grin and nudged her back.

"Well today's class should be rather interesting. It's the big non-verbal spells test." I said.

"I'm so nervous. I've been practicing non-stop all week." Roxanne said nervously.

"I'm not worried one bit." Starlene said idly twirling her wand. I rolled my eyes.

"That's because you're an evil skank who's already perfected it." I growled.

Starlene laughed of course.

"I'm not too worried either. I've been doing pretty well in class. Plus James and I have been hiding right outside of the Slytherin common room and hitting them with random hexes." Freddie said with a wicked grin.

"I hope these hexes have been non-violent." Roxanne said warningly and adjusted her prefect's badge.

"Of course dear sister." Freddie said with a wink towards his twin. Roxanne sighed loudly and rolled her eyes.

"I don't believe you of course, but since I haven't seen anything I can't say anything. Just don't come crying to me when you get caught by a Slytherin prefect and they give you detention. I won't be getting you out of it." Roxanne said with a huff and walked ahead of us into the classroom. She went and sat next to Ashton. Freddie went and sat with James while Starlene went and sat with a Ravenclaw friend of hers named Skyla. Which left Dom and me. We sat at the front of the class and Braeden was standing next to Teddy. He grinned at me and then winked when Teddy asked him to get a few things from the closet. Dom nudged me and smiled widely and I blushed and rolled my eyes.

Teddy had all of us get into pairs and preform two disarming spells, two non-violent jinxes, two shielding spells, and two healing spells for our test. All without speaking. Teddy paired us up and I wanted to puke when I found myself paired up with James. James was extraordinary when it came to magic. He was really smart and extremely talented and I was intimidated whenever we were paired together. I always fumbled and he always laughed at me. James winked at me when Teddy called our names. I had to keep myself from asking for another partner. I turned and looked longingly at Dom and Starlene who had managed to be partners. They looked sympathetically at me and shrugged. Roxanne was paired with Ashton and Freddie was paired with a chick from Ravenclaw.

"Alright, so it's pretty impossible to cheat on a practical examination but just in case I've casted a few anti-cheating charms around the classroom. Remember, no talking your spells and just relax and have fun. I don't mind if your classmates want to cheer everyone on, in fact I'd prefer it. It'll keep the atmosphere light. You all started practicing this last year and I know you can do it. So first up is…Braeden and Sawyer." Teddy said.

Braeden winked at me and walked to the designated area. Immediately people started cheering. I cheered Braeden on and he did fantastic. He moved gracefully and preformed all of the spells wordlessly. Braeden hit Sawyer with a leg locker curse and a tap dancing curse. His shield spells practically thrummed with power and Sawyer's wand flew to the other side of the class room with the disarming spells. Sawyer seemed really nervous and fumbled a bit with his spells but Lupin gave them both Outstanding marks. Everyone did fantastically and despite Roxanne's fears she got an O as well. Starlene did so amazingly well that Teddy had her preform a couple on him. Starlene hit Teddy with a really good stinging jinx and Teddy actually winced quite a few times before he finally healed himself. Starlene smirked widely and gave Teddy a high five. And finally it was mine and James' turn.

"Alright and last but not least, Paislee and James. Come on down you two." Teddy said and everyone but the Slytherin's started cheering.

"Ready for this American?" James asked with a smirk.

"Bring it on Britain." I said with a smirk of my own.

Teddy laughed and said, "Alright you two please try not to kill one another. Paislee will go first since I like her more than I like you Potter."

"Oi!" James said with mock anger.

"We'll start with the shield charm. I want two Paislee. James I want you to hit her with two hexes alright? Nothing too physical, just something powerful enough to hit her shield to test its strength. You can speak them if you'd like James. Now, wands at the ready. Whenever you're ready James." Teddy said and stepped back.

"Come on Paislee you can do it! Show my cocky cousin whose boss!" Dom shouted.

"C'mon mate! You can take her!" Freddie yelled.

I raised my wand and thought first of the Protego spell and then James shouted a hex. I flicked my wand and concentrated on my shield. The light of the hex hit my shield and ricocheted off of my shield so hard and so fast that James barely had enough time to duck. James stood back up and looked at me with an impressed expression.

"That was quite good American." He said.

"I know." I replied with a smirk. The class laughed.

"You're up James." Teddy said.

James raised his wand and shouted another hex. I thought of another and stronger shield spell and blocked it as easily as the first one. Next up it was my turn to hit James with two spells while he blocked. I decided to throw a strong stinging jinx for the first one which was blocked easily by James' strong shield. The second jinx I threw at him was strong stunning spell which was, again, easily blocked.

"That was quite good Britain." I told him.

"I know." He replied with a smirk.

We went through the disarming spells flawlessly as well as the healing spells. Teddy had me do the healing spells again because of how well I did. It really encouraged me since I wanted to be a healer. Now we were on the non-violent jinx and I was nervous. I know James was much better at hexes than I was and he knew a lot more as well. He actually has created a few of his own with Freddie.

"Alright, you first Paislee. Two non-violent hexes or jinxes okay? And no blocking James." Teddy said sternly.

"As you said American, bring it on." James said as he set his wand on a desk and held his arms out to the side. I smirked.

I thought of the paralyzing jinx Petrificus Totals and I had a twist on it. I could manipulate it and force my victim into any position I wanted. I focused on it and then flicked my wand and forced James into a frog like position where his legs were spread out as wide as possible and squatting as well as forced his tongue to stick out on the side. James' eyes were wide as saucers and the class was roaring with laughter; even Teddy was trying to turn his laugh into a cough. I flicked my wand again and James was released. He was blushing like mad and I laughed.

"Had enough Potter?" I asked with a huge smirk.

"I like it rough Hayes." James said with a suggestive smile and then it was my turn to blush like mad.

"Next one Paislee." Teddy said and James stood with his arms out again.

The next one I did was a really powerful dancing jinx. I flicked my wand and suddenly James was break dancing like he'd taken lessons from an early age. Freddie started beat boxing and soon the class was laughing again.

"Okay American you've had your fun!" James shouted rather breathlessly. I laughed.

"I don't know this is quite amusing." I said and swished my wand, making him dance even faster. After another minute and much complaining from James I finally relented. James was sweating slightly and he wiped his brow on his sleeve.

"You are so in for it now." James said threateningly.

Insert gulp here.

I didn't wanna seem like a wuss though so of course I opened my big fat sarcastic mouth.

"I'm not afraid you twinkle toes." I said.

"You should be." James growled and for a second I thought he might actually be angry but then he winked at me.

I set my wand on a desk and walked in front of James and did the same pose he did. James smirked widely and I winced in anticipation of his hex. All of a sudden I felt my hands start to contort and I was doing sign language. I had no idea what I was signing as I don't know it but I knew it was sign language because my fingers were contorting into certain shapes that resembled it. I breathed a sigh of relief at the light jinx. I really thought James was going to do something much nastier.

"What language is that James?" Teddy asked.

"Korean." James said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes.

"Is that all you got Potter?" I asked and immediately regretted it when I saw James' trademark smirk grow wider. My hands stopped moving and before I could say anything else I felt a soft caress against my sides. My eyes grew wide and I looked at James. He smirked even wider (if that was even possible) and then flicked his wand again and the caress grew firmer and then moved to other places.

Stupid James did a tickling jinx.

And a damn powerful one too.

Another flick of his wrist and the tickling increased in pace and in pressure. And now my sides, hips, underarms, and neck were being mercilessly attacked.

I clamped my mouth shut as tightly as I could to keep from laughing, but I couldn't stop from squirming. And of course the whole class was laughing.

"Oh James that's just mean." Starlene said with a laugh.

"How long you fancy she'll hold it?" James asked as my squirming increased.

"Ten sickles says two more minutes." Dom said. Freddie and Starlene laughed.

"You're on. She won't last another 30 seconds!" Starlene said.

"I agree with Star. There's no way she's gonna last much longer." Freddie said and James nodded in agreement.

I can't believe the idiots were betting against me!

I tried my hardest to keep it in but then stupid James swished his wand again and soon the back of my knees were under attack and I lost it.

I gasped and then started laughing like crazy.

"There it is!" James said with a laugh.

"James!" I gasped and looked pleadingly at him. He winked and then I looked towards Teddy and he seemed to be struggling to not laugh. Other student had used the tickling jinx as well but I'm pretty sure none of them had it perfected the way James did.

"J-James! Please!" I said through my laughter.

"I don't know this is rather amusing." James said in an imitation of me.

"Oh James let the poor girl up." Teddy said. James swished his wand once more increasing the pace again as I screamed with laughter and then with another flick of his wand the sensations disappeared. I bent over and was rubbing my sides to rid myself of the lingering sensation.

"I…hate…you…" I panted and scowled at James. He just laughed and winked at me.

"Top marks Mr. Potter and Ms. Hayes! That was rather brilliant and quite a good show. Great job everyone I'm proud of all of you. And as a reward for all of your hard work I'm cancelling class for tomorrow!" Teddy said and then covered his ears as everyone erupted into applause and cheer.

"Yes, yes I know I'm the best professor you ever had. Now get out of my class room before I change my mind!" Teddy said and ushered us all out. The Weasley/Potter clan and I walked out of the class room and were laughing at how James was break dancing when Braeden walked up beside us.

"Great job today Paislee. That healing spell was brilliant." Braeden said. I blushed of course.

"You didn't do so bad yourself." I told him. He winked at me and said hey to everyone then walked off to his next class.

"He is so bloody into you Paislee." Dom said.

"You think so?" I asked shyly.

"Yes of course!" Roxanne said and Ashton nodded. He was walking beside Roxanne.

"He mentioned that he really fancied you in class yesterday." Ashton remarked.

"Seriously?" I asked in disbelief.

"I jest not." He said.

"Well as fascinating as this conversation has been we have a class to get to quickly since Teddy's ran late and you my best mate have to help me find a new ingredient for the you know what. We need to test it soon if we're going to make our deadline." James said to Freddie.

"Right you are mate. Let's sit in the back. Professor Binns never pays any attention to anyone who sits back there." Freddie said.

"If I find out you two are testing your products on first years I swear to Merlin…" Roxanna trailed off. The two boys ignored her and we walked into class.

After classes the girls (except for Lily as she was 'busy.' I think she's with Delton) and I were hanging out in the common room when Braeden walked down with a few of his friends. We all waved hello as they walked by and Braeden sent me a saucy wink and I blushed furiously as he walked out.

"He so fancies you." Dom said.

"I kinda like him too." I said with a small smile.

"As much as James?" Starlene asked with a sly smile.

"What do you think?" I asked sarcastically.

"I think you don't want to get too close to Braeden because you are in love with James." She replied. Roxanne and Rose nodded in agreement.

"Whatever! I do not love James. I like him, but I don't love him. I'm too young to be in love with anyone." I said with an eye roll.

"I don't believe that for a second." Rose said.

"What?" I asked.

"That you're too young to be in love. I'm completely in love with Scorpius and I'm a year younger than you. Am I too young?" Rose asked.

She had me there.

"Well…no…" I trailed off.

"You do love my cousin. You're just not aware of it yet." She said with a firm smile.

"Agreed dear cousin." Dom said.

"Here here!" Starlene yelled.

"I too agree with what Rosie said." Roxanne inserted.

"Well I'm so glad I have all you whores to tell me how I do and do not feel." I muttered as I sunk lower into my squishy chair.

And what did my dear friends do?

That's right.

They laughed.

Doesn't anyone take me seriously?

"Oh Paislee, you would simply crash and burn without us." Starlene said.

"Whatever." I muttered.

They laughed again and went into a deep conversation about what mine and James' kids would look like.

Insert embarrassed scream/groan here.

"Can we focus on someone else's love life for ten minutes?" I asked from behind the pillow I had just put in my face.

"But yours is so much fun!" Starlene said.

"Well let's talk about yours then!" I volunteered her.

"Well I don't really have one now do I?" Starlene said.

"Yes and why is that Starlene? You're a total catch." Roxanne said and then waved her wand. Five hot mugs of cinnamon apple tea appeared and she handed one to each of us.

"I'm not sure, haven't really fancied anyone." Starlene said nonchalantly with a shrug.

"No one?" Dom asked in a disbelieving tone.

"Well…" Starlene trailed off with a huge grin.

"Spill. Now." I sad as I scooted closer to her.

"You promise not to take the mickey?" Starlene asked seriously.

Take the mickey?  
>What does a mouse have to do with this?<br>"Um…I hate to interrupt but what the hell does that mean?" I asked.

"It means to tease her." Dom said with a laugh.

"Oh. Okay. Do continue." I said with a laugh of my own.

"You lot promise first." Starlene said.

"Promise." We all answered at the same time.

It was pretty awesome.

Creepy too, but awesome.

Starlene took a deep breath and then grinned.

"Freddie."

Insert four screaming girls here.

Starlene likes Freddie!

This is too awesome for words!

"Oh Starlene that is just bloody fantastic!" Dom said jumping up and down. We were all on our feet by now and dancing in a circle.

"You think?" She asked with a laugh.

"Of course! You two are perfect for one another!" Dom insisted.

"Think he'll ask me to the ball?" Starlene wondered.

"We could always nudge him in the right direction." I said with a sly grin.

"I do believe we are having a bad influence on our American friend. She's actually volunteering to be sneaky and underhanded!" Dom said with a laugh.

I laughed at that.

"I think that'd be brilliant. But don't be too pushy. I don't want him to know that I fancy him as much as I do. I can take care of that part on my own. All I need him to do is take me to the ball and then he'll be mine." Starlene said with a smirk and we all laughed.

"He won't stand a chance against you!" Roxanne said.

The rest of the night was spent in conversation on how to get Freddie to ask Starlene to the ball. They of course came back to the topic of me and James and I excused myself to bed. I did have an early practice to get to the next morning. I was actually exhausted after the day's events.

So many surprises had happened.

How many people reacted to my new look.

James' reaction to my new look.

Braeden liking me enough to ask me to go to the ball.

And Starlene liking Freddie.

My head was spinning as I finally fell asleep. Thoughts of Hogsmeade only being a day away lulling me to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

The next few weeks flew by so fast I could barely remember what happened. I was studying most of the time with Roxanne and Rose, exams were right around the corner and the three of us seemed to be the only ones concerned with that fact. Starlene and the rest of the Potter/Weasley's seemed to not care about exams and were only studying for a few minutes at a time. I had never been to a real school before and I wanted to do really well so I studied like mad crazy. I passed all of my tests and received O's on everything but Potions. Potions I got an E, Exceeds Expectations. Which I was okay with, but I may get Al to tutor me for next term. Hogsmeade weekend went well but I didn't get to go on my date with Braeden because his cousin passed away a few days before the trip and he left for the funeral. He was quite upset about it and I felt really bad. He came back to Hogwarts that next weekend and apologized for missing our date. I told him he didn't need to apologize to me but he insisted on making it up to me and so we ate lunch together everyday that week. And I learned quite a lot about him.

For example: Braeden's favorite color is green. He's planning on going into politics and managed to snag an internship with the Ministry of Magic's law department this coming summer. Which is quite impressive if I do say so myself. He's 17 already and passed his Disappartion test last year and I was jealous. In America we didn't test for that until 7th year so I was going to have to take lessons with some of the 6th years. Good thing I knew Rose and Al so I wouldn't be all alone and completely humiliated. Anyways back to Braeden. Braeden has two sisters, twins, who just turned 10 and will be on their way to Hogwarts next year. Their names are Kaira and Kelley and he is quite proud of the two of them. He told me all kinds of stories about them. I've also learned that he likes to read Muggle comic books which made me giggle and he blushed slightly at it which was adorable.

The more I learn about Braeden the more I actually start to like him. And the more time I spend with Braeden the more irritated James seems to be. Which doesn't make any sense to me. Because if he liked me he'd be with me and not with Kaelynn right? But he likes Kaelynn, might even be in love with her with the way that they make out every chance they get. I swear, I've seen those two swapping spit more times than I've seen Rose with her nose in a book. And I'm not exaggerating. It made me sick every time I saw them at it. And the more time I spent with Braeden the more I longed for James. I wanted it to be James who was making me laugh, James who was telling me that I was pretty and smart. And of course those thoughts and feelings made me feel extremely guilty because Braeden is a great guy. I expect he'll be asking me to be his girlfriend soon and I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to say. Do I want to wait for James? Or is that a lost cause?

Teenage romance is confusing.

The girls and I found our dresses and the ball was in a few minutes. Rose got a beautiful dark red dress that was off the shoulder with beautiful sequins that ran in a diamond shape around her torso. Roxanne was in a gorgeous caramel color dress that hit right at her knees. It had one strap on the right which left her left shoulder bare. It had a black victorian styled pattern about half an inch thick along the edge of the dress. Lily found a dress that was a bit shorter than Roxanne's. Her dress was a beautiful deep green that brought out the green specks in her eyes. It was a spaghetti strapped dress that hit an inch or two above her knee. It had black tulle underneath it which made it puff out a bit. It fit her like a glove and was beautiful. James and Al would have a cow of course because of the length. Starlene bought a white dress that hit at her knee and was almost made completely out of lace. The lace had flower like patterns on it with a pearl in the middle of each flower. It made her chocolate brown hair stand out. Dom of course had a full length pink gown that had at least a thousand diamond like sequins surrounding the entire dress. She looked drop dead freaking gorgeous in it. Sean Finnigan was probably going to be the envy of every guy in Hogwarts. Sean asked Dom a week before the Ball. She had been waiting for him and had turned down every boy that asked her. Roxanne of going with her boyfriend Ashton, Rose with Scorpius (AWE!), Lily with Delton (much to the dismay of Al and James), Hugo with Annabeth, Al with some girl in his year named Blair, James with The Whore, me and Braeden, and Starlene and Freddie!

Freddie apparently had been planning on asking Starlene to the Ball since last year. He wanted to ask her then but chickened out and Starlene had actually gone to the ball with some dude who she punched in the face by the end of the night because he tried to feel her up. Freddie actually asked her in the sweetest and most awsome way. He let off a set of fireworks from his Dad's shop in the middle of the Great Hall during dinner. The fireworks turned into letters that asked, 'Starlene, make me the luckiest bloke in Hogwarts and go to the ball with me.' Freddie was leaning against the wall off to the side with his arms across his chest, a wicked grin on his face as Starlene's shocked face found his. She squealed and shouted yes and then threw herself into his arms. I was very surprised that Headmistress McGonagal didn't give him detention. She actually looked impressed and had a slight smirk on her face as she rolled her eyes and shouted for everyone to continue their dinner.

So I'm sure you're wondering about my dress huh? Well everyone else is looking gorgeous in their dresses and their make up and hair done while I was practically tied to a chair with Dom and Lily doing my hair and make up. My dress was a deep blue, almost navy in color. It hit right at my knees which is shorter than what I wanted but of course I was coerced into getting it anyways. It's strapless and has a sweetheart style neckline which of course shows a bit of cleavage, again I was coerced. It had sequins lining the bottom edge of dress as well as the neckline. It sparkled everytime I moved as the light hit it. It really was gorgeous. I bought a ridiculously tall pair of high heels which I'm pretty sure I'll break my neck in. But at least Braeden won't tower of me too much.

"Stop moving Paislee!" Dom hissed at me.

"I'm sorry! But I've been in this chair for like an hour now and I'm fidgety!" I retored with a scowl on my face.

"We're almost done. Quit your whinging." Dom said. I promptly rolled my eyes at her. I didn't ask what whinging was because she popped me in the back of the head about half an hour ago as I 'whinged' the first time. Whinging is whining, which I'm extremely good at. Starlene joined in as Lily put on some more make-up.

"Close your eyes." Starlene demanded and I immediately obeyed not wanting to face her wrath.

"Alright, you're done!" Dom said happily.

"Finally!" I exclaimed and stood a bit shakily to my feet, not entirely used to my new shoes.

"Just in time too. We meet our dates in five minutes and the Ball starts in ten!" Roxanne said with a look to the clock on the wall.

"Well let's get going!" I said not even bothering to look in the full length mirror. I didn't want to be reminded of how much I paled in comparison to the rest of the gorgeous Brits.

"Paislee, aren't you going to look at yourself? You're bloody gorgeous!" Lily said outraged. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Can you leave once I look?" I asked, anxious to get out of the room and away from the smell of hairspray. It was making me slightly nauseous.

"Yes." Lily replied with a bright smile. Her hair was curled slightly at the ends and looked beautiful. Dom and Rose had updo's with twists except Dom accented hers with jewels. Roxanne had her hair half up and half down with curly tendrils framing her face. Starlene had her hair straightened for once which looked gorgeous, with two small peices pulled back and tied in an intricate knot in the back.

I didn't want to look in the mirror.

Starlene pushed me in front of the mirror and my eyes widened in suprise at the image before me.

The girl looking back at me looked beautiful and it took me a minute to realize it was me. I hadn't cut my hair in a while so it now hit right at my shoulders and it was curled with spiral like curls. I had a few curly tendrils framing my face and half of my hair was pulled back and as i turned to my head to the side I could see that Dom had tied it in a gorgeous knot that curled and twisted. My ears had long diamond earrings hanging from them and a diamond choker necklace was around my neck. My eyes absolutely popped. I had mascara and eye liner with a dark silver eyeshadow that glittered and sparkled. My lips had a deep red color to them now and my skin was creamy and flawless looking.

I really was pretty.

"You're welcome." Dom said with a wink to me as she grabbed my elbow, pulling me towards the door and down the stairs. My black high heels clacked with each step but so did the rest of the girls so I wasn't alone in making noise. The rest of the girls were chattering away and I was trying not to throw up. Needless to say I was a bit nervous for my first formal dance.

"Don't be nervous Paislee, you look great, Braeden is bound to look great and you're going to have a great time!" Starlene said and hugged my shoulders with one of her arms. I smiled at her and tried to look more confident but I don't think it worked too well and then finally we were in the Common Room with a ton of other Gryffindor's. There were squeals and giggles and deep chuckles coming from everywhere and finally I saw Braeden standing next to Sean and Ashton. I didn't see James anywhere or The Whore so they were probably in some broom closet making out. I ignored that thought and made my way to Braeden. He turned and looked at me once Sean waved to Dom and his mouth dropped open slightly.

"Wow." He said and I felt myself blush. I looked over and saw Roxanne kissing Ashton and Dom talking with Sean while Lily and Rose went to look for their dates.

"You're not too shabby lookin' yourself." I said with a smile. It was true. Braeden looked very handsom. His suit, I'm sorry 'dress robes,' was black except for the vest and shirt underneath his jacket. He had a white shirt underneath the vest but his vest was a deep blue color as well, almost the small color as mine and it brought out his deep blue eyes. His hair was tucked behind his ears and slicked back a bit to neater. I was still slightly shorter than he was but we were almost eye level with my heels on and I could see that he had hazel specks in his blue eyes.

"Wow." He said again and released a breath. He grabbed my hand and raised it high in the air and motioned for me to twirl so I did with a laugh.

"Articulate aren't we?" I asked as I faced him again. He grinned at me.

"Hard to speak when you've got a gorgeous woman standing in front of you." He replied.

I blushed of course.

"You're gorgeous you know that?" He asked me. I smiled at him and shrugged. He rolled his eyes and then smiled again while holding his arm out for me to grab. I grabbed it and we all made our way to the Great Hall.

You know those Muggle movies that show high schools proms? There's beautiful decorations and ballons everywhere? Well, those movies have nothing on how the Great Hall looked.

Winter Wonderland? I think yes.

The whole place sparkled and glistened with diamond like brilliance. The ceiling was bewitched to look like it was snowing. The floor was completely white and had the same shining to it that the decorations did. There were paper laterns and stars and ribbon hanging everywhere. The tables had sparkling jewels on them with white candles that had a slightly vanilla scent to them.

It was beautiful.

Everyone made their way to different tables and Braeden and I sat with Dom, Roxanne, Ashton, and Sean. I saw Lily and Delton sitting with Hugo and Annabeth and two other kids I didn't know. Rose was sitting with Scorpius and Al and Blair along with two other people I didn't know. And finally my eyes settled on James.

He was devastatingly attractive.

His normally messy hair was swooped to the side in a neat manner. He wore a black suit with a golden vest, which made his hazel eyes look even brighter. He was smiling, it didn't quite reach his eyes, but it still made my heart flutter. Why can't he be over here sitting next to me?

Oh that's right, he's with The Whore.

Who by the way looked like even more whorish than usual. She was standing up by James as a friend of hers hugged her before they both sat down. The Whore was wearing an extremely short dress that barely reached mid thigh. It was black and extremely tight. I felt bad for her lungs. Her boobs were practcially popping out of the dress and she had about a pound of make up on.

Insert vomit here.

Freddie and Starlene of course were sitting with James and The Whore. Starlene caught my eye and mouthed 'sorry.' I smiled at her and jerked my head towards Freddie and wriggled my eyebrows suggestively. Freddie looked good in his all black suit. Starlene looked at him and then back at me and winked a saucy wink at me which made me laugh. Braeden looked at me and then at Starlene and Freddie and he waved. The pair of them waved back and then the music started.

Braeden of course grabbed my hand and led me to the dance floor. The first song was a classical number of some sort and I of course had no idea what I was doing and I fumbled a bit before Braeden grabbed my waist and took my hand in his, raising them to shoulder height. He looked at me and smiled.

"Just follow my lead." He said. I gulped and nodded.

Braeden was a fantastic dancer. His feet moved gracefully and I found him easy to follow and soon we were spinning and moving across the dance floor. It was wonderful. The song ended and another one began as we continued to dance. They played a few more classical songs and some of the Professors actually started dancing a bit with each other. Teddy went home early to spend some time with Vic and do some planning so he wasn't there. Once the classical songs were done some British wizard band came on stage and some rock was played as we all jumped around like idiots. Dom and Starlene and Roxanne found me and we got in a circle and danced liked idiots. Lily and Rose joined shortly and we laughed as Freddie came in our circle and tried to break dance. I felt dizzy and very thirsty so I excused myself for a moment and went to go get some punch. I was laughing quietly to myself and wasn't paying attention (as per usual) and I ran into someone.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" I said to the back of the tall person in front of me.

"It's no problem...American." The tall person said as he turned around to face me.

James.

Oh mama he was more gorgeous close up and since I was wearing heels the top of my head his chin. And he smelled really good too.

"James! Wow, I seem to run into you a lot. Like, literally." I said with a shaky laugh. James smiled at that and I felt all the air leave my lungs at that smile.

"It does seem that way. Does that happen alot to the people in your country?" He asked with a sly smile.

I rolled my eyes.

"No. It seems to just happen to me." I said.

"You look very beautiful by the way." James said.

I blushed furiously at that.

"You clean up quite nicely yourself Mr. Potter." I said with a smile.

"I know." He smirked.

I laughed, "And so humble too!"

"Why be humble when you know you're bloody amazing?" He asked with a laugh.

"Well I just don't know I guess." I said with mock wonder.

"Seriously Paislee, you look fantastic. Blokes are having a hard time taking their eyes off of you." He said, his voice low and sound slightly irritated.

I scoffed, "Oh please, no one's looking at me with all you gorgeous Brits everywhere."

James rolled his eyes this time.

"How can anyone look at us gorgeous Brits with this breathtakingly beautiful American standing here?" He countered. His voice dropped to a low whisper as he stared at me, his hazel eyes sparkling. I looked up at him and blushed and then quickly diverted my eyes.

"It's the truth Paislee. You're gorgeous, get over it." He said and I looked back up at him and of course he was smirking. I laughed.

"Well where's The Wh...er...Kaelynn?" I asked, almost slipping and saying Kaelynn's nickname. I don't think James knows we call her that.

"She's dancing with a few of her friends. Where's your boyfriend?" He asked.

"Oh he's not my boyfriend. Braeden only asked me to the ball." I said quickly.

"Oh, I just assumed you two were going out because of all the time you've been spending with one another."

"Well, we've been hanging out but he hasn't asked me or anything so..." I trailed off lamely feeling extremely awkward.

"Oh." He said.

"Yeah." I replied.

We stood there in silence until Kaelynn called for James.

"Jimmy! There you are! I've been looking for you!" The Whore said as she came up to where James and I were standing at the punch bowl. I was pouring myself a drink when she made it to us.

"I've been here the whole time Kaelynn." James said with what sounded like irritation in his voice.

"Hi Pasty!" Kaelynn said in a bright voice as she turned to look at me. She had a smile on her face but it was the fakest smile I had ever seen. Her eyes flared with anger and jealousy at me. I was taken aback at the intensity of her glare.

"It's Paislee." I said and could barely contain my own anger at her constant misuse of my name.

"Oh, isn't that what I said?" She asked innocently.

"No it wasn't." I said darkly. I saw James look back and forth between the two of before grabbing Kaelynn's waist.

"Fancy a dance?" He asked The Whore.

"Of course Jimmy. The closer we are the better." She said as she dragged his head towards hers and kissed him passionately. They started making out right there in front of me and I could only stare in shock. Suddenly Kaelynn opened one of here eyes and glared at me while she was still kissing James. I scowled deeply at her, resisted flipping her off, and left to find Braeden.

I found Braeden waiting for me with a smile and I tried to smile back but I knew it didn't quite reach my eyes. I spent the rest of the night smiling and laughing at the appropriate time but my heart wasn't in it anymore.

James was with Kaelynn. Not with me. And it royally sucked.

I wanted nothing more than to just run up to my room and cry after the exchange with Kaelynn. She seemed to hate me just as much as I hated her. If not more! And it shocked me that James could be so blind to her obvious cruelty and all around jerkiness.

Braeden was a perfect gentleman and was very attentive. Including me in every conversation and constantly touching me. Whether it was the small of my back, my waist, an arm around my shoulder, or him simply just holding my hand. It was nice.

The ball ended and everyone slowly made it back to the dorms. A few people stayed in the common room describing in detail their night. I was exhuasted and had spent most of the time with my friends already so I knew we wouldn't have to rehash too much except on how cute everyone looked. I knew that would wait until the next day while we were on the train heading back to the Burrow. We were spending Christmas break at the Burrow. Braeden walked me to the stairs of the girls dorm and smiled widely at me.

"I had a wonderful time tonight Paislee." He told me.

I smiled back.

"I did too Braeden." I said.

"You're a wonderful dancer." He said and I laughed.

"And you are a sweet talker." I said. He laughed at that.

"You truly look beautiful tonight." He said to me.

"Thank you. This was fun." I said.

"It was. Too bad it has to end huh?" He said.

"Yeah, too bad." I said lamely.

"Well, we both go home tomorrow and we won't see each other until after the break. It kind of makes me sad. I think I'll miss you." He said sweetly. I blushed and smiled shyly at him.

"I think I'll miss you too." I told him.

"Can I leave you with something to remember me by during break?" He asked.

"Sure." I said, expecting him to hand some kind of token or something. Instead, he leaned his head down towards me and kissed me softly on the lips. He lingered there for a few seconds before lifting his head and smiling at me. I opened my eyes and smiled back.

"Good night Paislee."

"Good night Braeden." I said and walked up the stairs and into my dorm. Starlene and Dom were chattering away on Dom's bed. Roxanne was asleep and I followed her lead. I stripped off my shoes and dress and pulled a night shirt on then drew the curtains around my bed before finally snuggling into my covers.

I truly did have a great night with Braeden. He was so sweet and so genuine and that kiss was nice. I could easily fall for him.

But there was just one problem.

He wasn't James.

And with that thought in mind, I silently cried myself to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

We woke up super early the day after the Ball and loaded onto the Hogwart's Express to be transported to the Burrow. I was super excited to see my Dad. I missed him terribly. Scorpius and Starlene were going to spend the first half of the holidays with their folks and then the day after Christmas they'd be at the Burrow for the remainder of the break. I was really excited about that as well because things just weren't as fun without Starlene.

The train ride went by quickly with each of us retelling stories of the previous night. Starlene and Freddie were officially dating, as were Lily and Delton (much to Al's and James' displeasure). And of course everyone was wondering if Braeden and I were officially dating.

"He hasn't asked me yet so I guess not." I had told them. This was met with scoffs and sentiments of Braeden being a git for not asking me to be his girlfriend. I smiled at their antics until I saw James' face. He looked…well…kind of relieved. As if he were happy at me still being single.

This stupid boy confuses the hell out of me.

The rest of the train ride we discussed plans on what we were going to do during the break, when the Quidditch rematch between us and the parents was going to happen, and a couple of friendly duels between those who were of age.

Before I knew it we were stopping and gathering our things. I had owled my Dad a few days before hand and he told me we would be using a portkey to get back to the Burrow this time. We were walking towards the front of the train station when I spotted Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Weasley.

"Oi! Over here you lot!" Ginny yelled with a grin. Lily, Al, and James turned and smiled as well as Rose and Hugo. We picked up our pace and once we reached the two women hugging ensued.

Rose and Hugo were first to reach Hermione, followed by Dom, Freddie, and Roxanne. Lily, Al, and James were embracing their own mother and soon the bunch switched. I was standing off to the side smiling at the scene.

They truly were a close knit family.

"And what do you think you're doing young lady?" Ginny asked with her fierce eyes on me.

"Pardon?" I asked confused while the rest of the crew snickered.

"Why are you standing all the way over there? I was under the impression that I was welcoming my family home." Ginny said and then motioned for me to come to her. I felt my face heat up and I made my way over to her and she pulled me into a hug. I laughed as she released me and then apologized.

"You are just as much family as the rest of these." Ginny told me and then Hermione came over and hugged me as well.

"I appreciate that." I said with a smile.

"Your father is already at the Burrow. He wanted to come and meet you here again but Harry and Ron insisted on doing a few training exercises in the field. He didn't want to at first but then Ron baited him. Your father is quite competitive." Hermione said with a smile.

"He sure is. He and my Mom were constantly competing for things when I was younger. Who could shower the quickest, which could get me to do my chores the quickest. Oh the stories I could tell y'all." I said with a laugh. Hermione and Ginny smiled softly at me and I immediately fell silent. They were smiling but their eyes held pity in them. Pity for me for not having my mother.

I hated pity. I didn't want it and I didn't like seeing it in people's eyes, which is why I didn't talk about my mother too often.

"Well let's get going Mum! I'm starving." James suddenly interjected. I looked up at him and he grinned at me and then winked. My heart fluttered and I quickly followed the rest of the group as we made our way towards the portkey.

Portkey's are weird. They can be any kind of object and leave no trace of magic around them so sometimes they're hard to spot. Like the portkey we were standing at. It was an old bottle of soda. We all touched it and soon the world was spinning faster than a haywire Ferris Wheel at the county fair. We touched the earth and as I stood up I saw the Burrow. It was beginning to be a comforting sight and I was glad we weren't going back to America. If we had gone there we would be surrounded by people who knew what the holidays meant to my father and I, there'd be pity and sad looks from relatives I only talked to once a year; on the anniversary of my mother's death.

My mother died the day after Christmas.

I felt bad for not being with my Grandma Hadley but she had Grandpa to be there for her, plus Dad and I are planning on visiting for a few weeks once I graduate. I'd be sure to owl her or phone her sometime while on break. But I'd have to do it in private. I didn't want any of my new friends to know when my Mom died because I'd have to endure that look. And I've had enough of that look to last me a lifetime.

Our luggage apparently was already inside and put away for us and as we made our way towards the house I couldn't help but smile to myself. Magic still captivated and surprised me. Once inside we were all hugged and fussed over by the other Weasley's. George was talking with Freddie about recent pranks while Angelina and Roxanne rolled their eyes. Dom was speaking with her mother and siblings in rapid French only saying a few words in English. I looked around the living room but saw no sign of my Dad.

"Where's Dad, Mum?" Al asked before I could ask the very same question.

"He's probably still outside with Jace and Ron. Those three just don't know when to quit." She added with a roll of her eyes. Rose, Hugo, James, Lily, Al, and I all made our way to the back field to find our missing fathers. My face brightened when I saw Harry and Ron dueling with my Dad, two against one.

I loved watching my Dad duel. He was so good at it. Graceful even.

We all stood and watched as our father's duked it out. My Dad parried each spell and was quick to return fire when he saw the chance. Dad was always quick on his feet and it looked as if Ron and Harry were having a hard time anticipating where he would move next. Suddenly Ron's wand flew out of his hand and he looked quite shocked while my Dad just looked smug. I laughed. Dad must've heard me because he looked my way and it was the distraction Harry needed. Suddenly my Dad was hit with a spell and with an 'oof' he fell backwards on the ground. I knew nothing nasty had hit him because he was chuckling to himself as Harry grinned. We all started walking towards them as Harry reached his hand out to help my Dad up.

"Not too bad old man." I said with a smile as I got closer to my Dad.

"I'll say." Ron said as he embraced his kids.

"You distracted me." Dad said with smile. I wrapped my arms around his middle and laughed. "And you took advantage of it Boss." He added looking over at Harry. Harry rolled his eyes when my Dad said Boss.

"I simply took an opportunity to win." Harry said with a shrug.

"I saw your report card. Good job kid!" My Dad said while mussing my hair slightly. I scowled and tried to smooth it back. "And your hair is getting longer."

"Yeah well I haven't had time to cut it lately. I was going to try myself but I knew I'd butcher it. Kerianna has always cut my hair." I said.

"I like it longer; you should let it grow out." He said to me.

"That's what we've been trying to tell her." Rose said with a smirk towards me.

I rolled my eyes.

"I've always had it short." I insisted.

"Well, maybe it's time for a change." Lily said with an arm around her father's waist.

"I swear y'all are always ganging up on me!" I said exasperated.

"That is still adorable. Jace you say it now." Ron said with a grin. My Dad rolled his eyes at the same time I did and the three men laughed and ushered us back inside.

Once inside we were told dinner would be another hour and that we could relax until then. Dom and I ran upstairs to change out of our school clothes. She put on a beautiful red turtle neck sweater dress with black tights and furry boots. She always had to look like a friggin' model. I pulled on a pair of jeans, my chucks, and a Christina Perri band t-shirt I had gotten when I went with Kerianna and her family last summer.

"Who's that?" Dom asked pointing to my shirt. I stared up at her with shock.

"Are you serious?" I asked. Dom rolled her eyes.

"Paislee, I live in England not America."

"Oh yeah. Well she's this amazing singer, Christina Perri. I went and saw her in concert last summer with my friend Kerianna. She's my favorite singer."

"Is she any good?" Dom asked.

"Only the freakin' best! I have my iPod, wanna listen?" I asked as I rummaged through my bag and found my iPod and its docking station. Dom laughed as I set it up and found A Thousand Years. I pushed play as Dom sat on her bed and listened. It was a newer song but my current favorite. I sang softly along as it played. It was a love song. And it was one of the most beautiful love songs I have ever heard. I closed my eyes as I listened to the words. I let them fill me and continued singing. My Dad often told my Mom he would love her for a thousand and more years so when I first heard this song I immediately memorized every word, picturing the two people in the song as my parents singing to one another. I didn't realize anyone else in the room until the song ended and I opened my eyes.

Everyone was in the room and staring at me. And I mean everyone.

All of the adults and kids were looking at me with shocked expressions on their faces. My Dad was leaning against the doorframe with a small smile on his face. I blushed furiously at being caught singing out loud like that. I normally saved that for my shower head.

Dom and Victoire had tears in their eyes and so did Ginny and Hermione. Rose, Hugo, Lily, and Al were sitting on my bed while Freddie was on the floor next to his Dad and Ron. Harry was standing next to Dom's bed and James was next to him, his hazel eyes wide with suprise and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly in a soft smile.

"Paislee...that...that was just beautiful." Dom said.

"I had no idea you could sing!" Lily squealed out. I felt my blush deepen and Freddie and James smirked.

"I um...don't normally d-do it o-out loud. I'm sorry, I-I just sort of forgot I w-where I was." I said shakily. I was quite embarrassed. I've never really sung out loud where others could hear me. I'm pretty shy about that kind of stuff.

"Don't apologize dear! You have a truly magnificent voice." Grandma Weasley said to me.

"Jace, why didn't you tell us she had such a wonderful gift?" Hermione asked while wiping her eyes.

My Dad smiled and then shrugged, "Not my secret to tell." He knew how shy I was about being the center of attention. It's not really my thing.

"Well, you should sing more often. I haven't heard a voice so strong and pure in quite some time." Angelina said.

I felt my blush heat up.

"It's true. You're brilliant." Ron said with a smile.

"T-Thank you." I all but whispered.

"I should go check on dinner." Grandma Weasley said noticing my discomfort at the crowd I had gathered. The women nodded and followed and shortly the men as well. My Dad walked over to me and kissed the top of my head before leaving. Of course all the kids decided to stay and continue to stare at me.

I coughed awkardly.

And then Al slapped the back of my head.

"Ouch! Al! What the heck was that for?" I asked as I rubbed the spot he just hit.

"For being a complete prat and not telling us you could sing!" Al said a bit on the petulant side.

"Yeah Paislee. You should've told us." Rose said with a nod.

"You're really good." Freddie said and Dom nodded.

"I agree, why didn't you say anything?" Dom added.

"Well y'all never asked! And I can't really sing that well anyways." I said and stuck my tongue out at them.

"Well that's a load of rubbish." James said and walked over to where I was standing. He towered of me and crossed his arms over his chest. I looked up at him and narrowed my eyes.

"Can we please stop talking about me and do something else?" I asked with a scowl on my face.

James smirked.

"Well since you seem to be the one with all the secrets why don't we just continue talking about you and your beautiful voice." James said with the same smirk.

"Oh for the love of Pete!" I said exasperated and threw my hands in the air.

"You should sing some more tonight." Dom insisted.

"What? No!" I almost shouted.

"Why not?" She asked.

"Because I don't like to sing in public, and I'm not that good." I insisted.

"Rubbish." Freddie said.

"You know we could always make you." Lily said with a gleam in her eye. I rolled my eyes at her.

"You can't use magic, you're too young." I said with a smirk.

"But we're not." Roxanne said while twirling her wand with Freddie, James, and Dom. My eyes widened and I pushed Al in front of me.

"You three crazy Brits leave me alone." I said as Al laughed.

"One shot with a tickling hex and Al is down for the count. He's almost as ticklish as you." James said with a laugh. Al scowled at him.

"Now, now. Let's not force the poor girl into something she doesn't want to do." A voice said from behind.

Teddy Lupin was standing in the doorway.

"Teddy! About time you got there mate!" James said as he ran over to Teddy, everyone else following. I sighed in relief, grateful that they had someone else to focus on. Teddy hugged everyone and assured them he was staying the entire break.

"Vic and I have a few plans to finalize and you lot have your dress fittings as well." Teddy said. The girls all squealed in excitment while the boys groaned.

"Oi! Don't treat my wedding like a chore or I'll fail the lot of you." Teddy said with a smile.

We all laughed and then made our way to the dinning room as Grandma Weasley called us down to dinner. We ate a delicious pot roast dinner and then watched Hugo beat Al in Wizard Chess. Then George, James, and Freddie put on a minituare fire work show and before we knew it, it was nearing midnight with Christmas being the next day. The adults ushered us all into bed and Lily and Rose brought their sleeping bags into mine and Dom's room and they slept on the floor so that we were all together.

We woke up early with excitement for Christmas. I had spent a fortune on presents for all of my new friends and my Dad, my savings were extremely depleted. We dressed quickly and then made our way downstairs to a Christmas wonderland. The adults must have decorated while we were sleeping. Red and Green tinsel was everywhere along with holly and mistletoe. And the Chrismas tree was huge and had a ton of presents underneath. The rest of the crew met us and we started opening presents.

I made out like a bandit.

My Dad got me a gift card to iTunes and a new pair of chucks. They were Gryffindor red and gold with my Quidditch number on the side. Grandma and Grandad Weasley gave me a hand made sweater with a 'P' on it. I noticed all the grandkids got one and I felt my throat get tight with emotion. They made me feel like I was really a part of their family. Dom got me some make-up, Lily got me a new pair of Quidditch gloves, Roxanne got me a photo album, Rose got me a book on the War, Al, Hugo and Freddie got me an array of candy. That left James' present and when I opened it my jaw dropped. James got me a beautiful Quaffle charm that had a chain attached to it. It was meant to clip on to just about anything and I knew the perfect place for it was going to be my shoulder bag. It was diamond studded and sparkled beautifully in the light.

"Thank you James. I love it." I told him and he smiled at me.

"I saw it and thought of you immediately. I'm glad you liked it." He said.

Everyone else opened their presents and my friends were suprised that I bought them all a gift as well. I got Rose a book on American slang terms to which she found hilarious, I got Roxanne a planner, I got Lily some perfume, Dom some costume jewlery, Al and Freddie a broom cleaning kit, Hugo a wizard chess polishing kit, and James a leather wallet that matched the jacket I had given him on his birthday.

"Thanks American." Freddie said and high fived me. James winked at me as he started putting his things into his new wallet.

"Thanks honey." Dad said as he put on his new boots I had gotten him. I had Grandma Hadley order them through a catalog and then shipped them here. They were cowboy boots and had his name stitched into them. They were a deep brown color with black stitching.

"Anytime." I said with a smile.

Grandma Weasley made pancakes and we all ate and then made our way into the foyer to exchange stories. Harry, Ron, and Hermione started with a story about how the three of them once drank polyjuice potion to change into Slytherin's. Well, Harry and Ron did...Hermione turned into a cat. The two men roared with laughter while Hermione blushed and hit both of them on their shoulders. Ginny then started telling old Christmas stories of when James and Al were babies and then a couple of later stories with Lily.

Apparently one year James and Al decided to decorate cookies with icing for Santa and shenanigans ensued. James was 9 and Al was 8 at the time. Apparently James was trying to show Al how to squeeze the icing out of the tube and Al was insisting that he could do it and squeezed so hard that all of the icing squirted out at once and all over James. James then tackled Al and the two wrestled and destroyed the kitchen. Harry was laughing along with Ginny as the two brothers tried to blame one another for it.

"You so started that Al! I was just trying to be a good big brother and show you how to get the icing!" James said with a laugh.

"Rubbish! You were trying to be a controlling prat and tell me what to do!" Al insisted.

"You got icing all over me! That started it!" James said.

"You tackled me and that knocked over the cookie platters over along with the flour." Al said with a laugh.

"If you hadn't been flailing about you wouldn't have hit the platters!"

"If you hadn't have been tickling me I wouldn't have been flailing my about!"

And of course James threatened to do it again if Al didn't admit he was at fault. Al rolled his eyes and James curled his fingers threateningly. Al squeaked slightly and then ran behind his Dad. We all laughed.

It was a fun way to spend the day.

The day ended quickly with dinner and as I made my way back to the living room after the Christmas feast I bumped into James in the doorway.

"I don't even have to look down to know it's you American." James said with a laugh. I scowled up at him and attempted to leave but found that I couldn't. James looked startled as well and then we looked up.

Mistletoe.

Mistletoe that was cursed to keep its victims immobile until they kissed.

Insert sigh here.

Everyone was cat calling and wolf whistling at the two of us.

"Uncle George!" James shouted at his uncle.

George simply laughed.

"You know what you have to do Jamsie." George said with a smile. The rest of the adults laughed, including my Dad. Which was wierd.

"Dad...a little help here?" I asked.

"I don't think I can." Dad said with a chuckle.

"Just kiss her James!" Freddie called out. James scowled at him and then looked down at me.

My heart was beating erratically and I could barely breathe. I wanted to kiss James so badly but I was nervous to do it in front of all these people. Plus I don't think he wanted to kiss me. But then he did the unexpected. James grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him and then bending his head his lips met mine. It was brief but I still felt dizzy once his head lifted. He looked at me for a second and then booked it to his room. I was so shocked at his abruptness in leaving that I almost started crying right there in front of everyone. However, I didn't. I spent the rest of my evening with Dom and the girls as we talked about Starlene and Scorpius arriving the next day. Freddie was excited too and I couldn't wait to see how Starlene and Freddie acted as a couple. We finally made our way to bed adn I knew I wouldn't be sleeping too well.

Mom's anniversary was tomorrow and every time it came I had nightmares. I watched my mother die in front of me. Trying to save me. If I had been quicker with my wand I could've saved her. I would've been forgiven for using underage magic. It was my fault my Mom was dead.

Dom turned out the lights and I whimpered softly. I continued thinking about my Mom and when I looked at the clock 4 hours had passed and it was two in the morning. Deciding that I couldn't sleep I got up and grabbed my pillow and blanket and made my way to the living room and settled on the couch. I finally fell asleep after another hour of feeling sorry for myself.

It didn't last.

I dreamt of that day. Of my Mom throwing herself in front of me and the spell hitting her right in the chest. Her body crumpling to the ground. I could practically hear myself screaming. Actually...I did hear someone screaming...someone who sounded a lot like me.

"Paislee!" Someone was shaking me. I started fighting my attacker and then I clocked him in the jaw with my elbow.

"OW! Paislee! Wake up! It's me! It's James!" James said as he grabbed my arms. My eyes finally shot open and I saw James staring at me with fear in his eyes. His hair was messy with sleep and he was in his pajamas. I scanned the room quickly and saw that no one else was there, which meant I hadn't screamed for too long and hadn't woken anyone up. I looked up at James again and his concern seemed to grow from my lack of speech. His brow was furrowed and his hazel eyes were dark with concern.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Was I okay? Was I okay? Hell no I was not okay! I saw my Mother get murdered in front of me! How can I ever truly be okay?

I looked at James and couldn't stop the tears from falling from my eyes. They poured down my face and James looked stunned at them.

And then the sobs came.

"Hey, hey, hey. Shhh...it's okay." James said as he pulled me into his arms. I didn't fight him. I allowed him to hold me and soon his hand was rubbing soothing circles on my back.

"I-It's m-my fault!" I cried into his shoulder.

"What's your fault?" He asked softly as he held me.

"T-That she d-died!" I sobbed.

"Who died?" James asked as he grabbed my shoulders and forced me to look at him.

"My M-Mom. She was k-killed by a death eater exactly f-five years ago t-today. She died t-trying to protect me. H-He was gonna take m-me, but she j-jumped in front of me. I w-wasn't fast enough w-with my wand and she d-died. Took the spell f-full on. If I h-had just been quicker, she'd s-still be alive!" I sobbed. James looked at me and then grabbed my chin.

"Paislee that is mad! It wasn't your fault! You were a child! You barely knew how to levitate anything let alone stop a death eater! Look, my Dad fought them and they were ruthless. There was nothing you could do. Absolutely nothing, okay?" James insisted.

"It d-doesn't matter! She's g-gone now! And she isn't e-ever coming back! A-And...I miss her! I miss her so much James! It hurts!" I sobbed. James grabbed me again and pulled me close whispering words of comfort in my ear. He rocked me back and forth while rubbing my back. I just cried. I hadn't allowed myself to be comforted like this since the first year without my Mom. I tried to just swallow my feelings and not allow them to break me, but for some reason I couldn't do that tonight. It's been officially five years but it still seems like yesterday.

"It's okay Paislee. It's okay." James continued to say. I have no idea how or when it happened but all of a sudden I was lying back down on the couch, my head in James' lap as he rubbed my back.

"Go to sleep Paislee. It's going to be okay. Just sleep." He told me. I was about to argue with him, that I didn't want to go to sleep, that I didn't want to be alone but he continued.

"I'm not going anywhere Paislee. I'll stay right here. You won't be alone." He said as if reading my thoughs. I felt instantly reassured, but I still didn't want to go to sleep. I didn't want to relive my Mom's death. Unfortunately it was at that moment that James started running his fingers through my hair, an act that never failed to put me to sleep. And before I knew it I was out like a light.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I know it's been a while since I've updated this story and I apologize about that, but so much has gone on this month. I went to a mission trip for a week and a half and then a week after I got home my grandpa died so I haven't had much time to write. I want to dedicate this chapter to him. **

**Also: Thanks so much for all you readers. I appreciate it so much. I hope y'all like this chapter. =]]**

I noticed two things when I woke up. First that I was drooling. Second that I was sleeping next to James Sirius Potter. Actually I was kind of sleeping on top of James Sirius Potter.

Insert gasp here.

I shifted slightly and tried not to wake James up. The situation was embarrassing enough and I didn't want to see the smirk on his face when I noticed how red I was. I lifted myself up and braced my hands on either side of his body. I looked down at him and smiled softly to myself.

He looked so peaceful.

His chest was rising and falling ever so slightly and his hair was messier than usual and I had to stop myself from running my hands through it. He had a slight smile on his face which made my own grow. This close I could see a slight spread of freckles across his cheeks and nose. His eyelashes were long and almost touched his cheeks. He looked so young, so innocent.

And then his eyes opened.

"Hey there." He said softly, his voice gravely from sleep.

"Hi." I said back and immediately felt heat rise to my face.

And what did James do? He smirked. Shocker right?

"No need to turn red American." He whispered. I rolled my eyes at him but couldn't help but smile.

"What time is it?" I asked.

James looked down at his watch, "7:22. I'm surprised Grandma Weasley isn't up yet."

"She an earlier riser?" I asked.

"Oh yeah. She's up at dawn normally. She gets eggs from the chickens and normally starts breakfast. Mum helps most of the time as well. Guess it's gonna be a late morning in." James said with a smile. I nodded and said nothing, still embarrassed.

"How are you feeling?" James asked, his face suddenly changing to concern.

"I'm fine." I replied automatically. Which of course was a lie, today was going to be very, very hard.

"Rubbish." James replied. He looked me in the eyes and furrowed his brow, as if trying to read my mind and find out exactly how I truly was feeling. I couldn't keep his gaze so I averted my eyes.

"I know you're hurting Paislee, and it's okay to hurt. It's okay to be sad, but it is not okay to blame yourself for something you couldn't control. It wasn't your fault and you need to realize that." James said firmly. I glanced back at him and he looked so sincere, so serious. He reached out his hand and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear. I closed my eyes and savored his hand on my face.

"I'll try." I whispered. James shifted suddenly and that's when I realized I was still laying on him.

"I'm sorry!" I said and sat up, swinging my body into a sitting position on the other side of the couch. "I didn't realize I was still...erm..." I trailed off.

James chuckled, "It's alright American." He then started sitting up and I could hear his joints popping with the movements. He groaned and stretched his muscles. I couldn't help but giggle.

"Does the old man need to lie back down?" I asked.

James scowled at me and winced again as he put his hands behind his back as if trying to pop it.

"You try having a 100 pound American sleep on top of you." James said and I rolled my eyes. James finally sat straight up and smiled goofily at me. I playfully shoved at his shoulder and he nudged me in the ribs with his elbow.

"Thank you." I said.

"For what?" He asked.

"For being less of a jerk than you normally are." I replied playfully. He laughed.

"Anytime American."

"Seriously though James; thanks." I added. James turned his body towards mine and looked me full in the face.

"I'm always here for you Paislee. Anytime you need anything. I mean it." James said. He looked so serious and confident. It filled me with hope.

"Can you do one more thing for me?" I asked.

"Anything."

"Can you not tell the others about last night, or about what today is? If anyone is going to say something, I'd like for it to be from me."

"Of course." James replied. He patted my knee and got up and walked back up the stairs. As his door closed I heard another one open. I looked up and saw my Dad.

"Morning Paislee." Dad said. He was in a pair of striped pajama pants and a white t-shirt; his jaw had some stubble on it, making him look much older. His eyes had bags underneath them and I knew he had gotten less sleep than I had.

"G'morning Dad." I replied. He came and sat by me and I snuggled in close to his side as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"How ya holding up kid?" He asked. I shrugged. Dad set me back and grabbed my chin, turning my face to the left and right as if checking for signs of tiredness.

"No sleep last night for you either?"

"Nope." I replied.

"How many hours you get?" He asked.

"Around three. You?"

"Bout' the same." He replied.

"I'm sorry Daddy." I told him.

"Me too kid, me too." Dad replied as he hugged me close to him. I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. I silently cried as my Dad stroked my hair and rocked me back and forth.

"It's okay Paislee." My Dad told me.

"I kn-know." I said shakily.

"She'd be so proud of you honey. She'd be so proud of all your good grades, of your new friends, how well you're doing with Quidditch." Dad said.

"She'd b-be proud o-of you t-too Dad. Proud of h-how hard you're w-working, of how w-well you're raising m-me." I told him. I felt my Dad chuckle a bit.

"Thank you." He said. I got my act together and wiped the tears from my eyes.

"I miss her." I said. My Dad blinked quickly and took a deep breath before releasing it slowly.

"Me too Paislee. So much I feel like I can't breathe at times."

"I'm glad we're here though. We can be distracted ya know? And maybe remember good times instead." I offered.

"I think that's a great idea Paislee. And I'm glad we're here too." Dad said. He kissed the top of my head and then we heard people moving about upstairs.

"Looks like everyone is awake." Dad said and I nodded. He helped me to my feet just as the adults were coming down. Mrs. Molly Weasley was bustling about all over the house trying to start breakfast. Every once in a while she shot a glance at her husband and he'd smile at her and her scowl would turn into a smile as well. She'd mention him being a 'nutter' for allowing her to sleep in every couple of minutes.

The rest of the crew made their way down and I assured them I was fine and that I just woke up earlier than everyone else. Breakfast was made and afterwards we all got ready for the day. Once we were all dressed the kids insisted on making cookies for Scorpius' and Starlene's' arrival. They were due in a few hours and Grandma Weasley got us the ingredients while the rest of the adults went to Diagon Alley for a few things. My Dad went with them after much negotiation from Ron and Harry. Dad wanted to stay here with me even though I assured him I was fine. I had a feeling Ron and Harry knew about my Mom's anniversary today because they kept giving my Dad and I 'The Look.' I knew they meant well but I couldn't help but be angered by it. I didn't want their pity.

Once the adults, all except Vic and Teddy, were gone we commenced baking. Teddy and Vic came down and helped decorate the cookies with icing. We used Gryffindor colors and made a few that said 'Prat' and 'Git' on some of them, knowing we'd make Scorpius and Starlene laugh. Two hours later the adults were back and there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Rose and Freddie yelled at the same time and the two of them made a beeline for the door. We laughed and soon Starlene and Scorpius were inside and being hugged and passed around to be greeted.

"Paislee!" Starlene shrieked and practically tackled me to the ground. The crew laughed as I stumbled.

"I missed you too Starlene!" I said as I tried to remove myself from her death grip.

"Oh this is just so exciting!" Starlene squealed.

"Calm down Star, don't choke the girl to death." Freddie laughed.

"Oops! Sorry Paislee." Starlene giggled. She let go and walked over to Freddie who picked her up and spun her around before kissing her.

"Well now that everyone's here what do you say about a Quidditch rematch?" James said with a smirk.

"What are the stakes this time son?" Harry asked with a smile.

"Same as last." James said. Dom and I looked at him with horror, that didn't work out too well last time.

"Done." George said with a smile.

And so we all made our way out to the pitch again. My Dad beamed at me as I mounted my broom. Starlene watched from below and commentated with Roxanne. Hugo and Hermione refereed again and this time there was a score to settle.

The game was intense the entire way through. Angelina and Ginny were weaving their way through us as they passed the Quaffle back and forth before finally throwing it to my Dad who missed by less than an inch. Scorpius looked extremely intense and determined, almost as if we were playing Slytherin. The adults grabbed the lead quickly though and soon the points were stacked against us at 45 to 115. We couldn't lose again so when Lily tossed me the Quaffle I grabbed it and nodded to James who nodded back. Time to put the plan in motion. Hedwig's Last Flight. I tossed the Quaffle James and he zoomed forward with me on his heels, Lily flew up and he tossed it to her who then threw it to me. I surged forward as quickly as possible and then came to a complete stop. My Dad, Ginny, and Angelina were still flying before they noticed my sudden stop. I tossed the Quaffle as hard and fast as I could into James' waiting arms and then I was off again. Lily was already at the next stopping point when the adults came after James and I. James tossed it back to Lily who threw it back to me and by that time I was close to their goals. I pitched the Quaffle hard towards the bottom left goal and scored. The adults looked shocked but quickly regained their wits. We performed Hedwig's Last Flight a few more times before the adults caught on.

"C'mon Al!" James yelled in his 'Captain' voice.

"I'm trying James!" Al replied irritably. Harry laughed and then lost all humor when he saw Al dive quickly. Harry followed his youngest son but it was too late. Right before Al crashed into the ground he grabbed the Snitch and pulled him on his broom, landing softly and holding the Snitch high into the air.

"YES!" I screamed and we all met on the grassy floor and tackled Al to the ground.

"You rock Al!" I said as I felt Lily climb on top of me in the dog pile on Al.

"That was awesome little brother!" James said and mussed Al's hair.

"Geroff you lot!" Al said good naturedly as he laughed at our antics.

"That was some game! What in the world was that play?" Harry asked as he clapped his son's back.

"Something Freddie and I came up with a few weeks ago. It's called Hedwig's Last Flight." James said as he beamed at his Dad. "Used it to kill the Puffs right before the end of term."

Harry beamed at his son and actually looked a bit misty eyed as he rubbed James' shoulder.

"Alright then! Looks like we got dish duty." My Dad said with a laugh and a wink towards me.

"What's Grandma Weasley cooking this time round?" Dom asked with a smile.

"Pot Roast." Freddie said with a smirk.

The adults groaned and we laughed.

We trudged back in the house and came back to a plate full of sandwiches made by Grandma Weasley. We sat in the living room and traded stories on how the game went and how Starlene's and Scorpius' Christmas went. They told us all about their gifts and we laughed at how Scorpius' family bought him Slytherin colored gifts that he promptly had James turn to Gryffindor color.

"What all did you lot do?" Starlene asked.

"Not much, found out Paislee can sing fantastically well." Dom mentioned casually with a very specific smirk towards me.

"I cannot!" I shrieked.

"She's lying. She's truly wonderful." James inserted.

"Paislee Jeanette Hayes! How could you not tell me?" Starlene asked looking genuinely offended. I was startled and was about to apologize when Vic interrupted.

"Why don't you sing for us now?"

Insert jaw drop here.

"What? No!" I said and glared at Vic who waved me off and wrapped her arms around Teddy who nodded at her suggestion.

There were cries of outrage as I said no over and over again until I finally gave in.

"Alright! If it'll get y'all off my back!" I said irritably. I grabbed a quick drink from my water bottle and made my way to the front of the living room.

Everyone was there.

And staring at me.

I started sweating slightly and I looked at my Dad who smiled at me and nodded encouragingly. I nodded back and took a deep breath.

_"I remember tears streaming down your face _

_When I said I'd never let you go_

_When all those shadows almost killed your light _

_I remember you said, 'don't leave me here alone'_

_But all that's' dead and gone and passed tonight._

_Just close your eyes _

_The sun is going down_

_You'll be alright _

_No one can hurt you now_

_Come morning light_

_You and I'll be safe and sound_

_Don't you dare look out your window. _

_Darlin' everything's on fire. _

_The war outside our door keeps raging on. _

_Hold on to this lullaby. _

_Even when the music's' gone, gone. _

_Just close your eyes. _

_The sun is going down. _

_You'll be alright. _

_No one can hurt you now. _

_Come morning light. _

_You and I'll be safe and sound." _

I finished and noticed that I had tears in my eyes. I was singing the lullaby my mother had sang to me many times before I fell asleep. The song came from The War and my mother sang it to me every time I was scared. It'd been years since I sang it.

"Oh Paislee." Starlene said with tears in her eyes. I looked around the room and saw that all the women were wiping tears from their eyes. My Dad had tears streaming down his own face as he smiled at me. I'm not sure who it was but someone started clapping and soon the whole room erupted into applause. I blushed furiously and wiped the tears from my eyes.

"I remember that song." Ginny said once things were quiet and smiled at her mother.

"My Mom used to sing it to me when I was scared." I said quietly. Everyone's eyes turned to me once again. "She died five years ago today."

Everyone gasped. Well except for James, Harry, Ron, and my Dad.

"Paislee...I didn't know...I'm so sorry." Starlene said.

"I didn't either Paislee, I'm so sorry." Dom said.

"It's okay." I whispered.

"You sound just like her." My Dad said suddenly. I looked up at him and he still had tears in his eyes. "You look just like her too. So beautiful."

I smiled and my own tears increased and before I knew it my Dad was hugging me. I hugged him back and once he let go I was bombarded by my friends. Dom reached me first, then Starlene, then Roxanne, Lily, and finally Rose. I smiled as they whispered words of encouragement to me and laughed as Dom and Starlene tweaked my sides.

"You really do have a beautiful voice Paislee." Starlene said as they finally let me go.

"Thanks." I said and blushed.

The adults left and soon we were called into the dining room for dinner. The pot roast was delicious and the treacle tart for dessert was even better. I was slowly getting used to these Brits' food. After dinner we watched Hugo beat Al (again) at Wizard Chess then watched Freddie and James play a game of exploding snap. Then Vic and Teddy stood up and said they had an announcement.

"So we've been thinking that we need to add someone to our wedding party." Teddy said.

"We have a few new members to our family and we couldn't bear it if one of them wasn't in our wedding." Vic said and then her eyes fell on me. "Paislee, would you do us the honor of being a bridesmaid?"

"Seriously?" I asked in complete disbelief. Vic nodded and held out a beautiful golden dress. A bridesmaid dress.

The girls were squealing and jumping up and down as I said yes and smiled widely at them. I walked up to the dress and took it from Vic. I beamed at them and Vic hugged me, then Teddy.

The night went on with laughter and stories of Hugo and Rose when they were younger, giving the Potter kids a break. And before I knew it, it was time for bed. We went upstairs and Starlene followed along with Rose, Roxanne, and Lily. They had sleeping bags again and camped out in mine and Dom's room.

"I'm really sorry about your Mom Paislee." Lily said.

"It's okay. I miss her a lot, but she wouldn't want me to be sad all the time. She was always smiling." I said.

"I bet. Do you have a picture?" Roxanne asked. I nodded and pulled out a picture I took of her a few days before she died. She was looking at my Dad who was outside of the photo. She was smiling and laughing, shaking her head something he said to her.

"She's beautiful!" Rose gasped.

"She is isn't she?" I said with a smile.

"You look just like her." Lily added with a smile.

"Thanks." I replied and put the picture back in my wallet.

"So what are we going to do for the next week before we're back at school?" Starlene asked.

"I was hoping to convince the parentals to go to Diagon Alley so we can stock up on some make-up. I also asked my Mum yesterday if we could go to that Muggle place called a mall, they have the cutest Muggle clothes and I could use a few new outfits." Dom said.

"That'd be fantastic!" Starlene said. Lily, Rose, and Roxanne seemed excited as well and I too found myself being excited. We chatted a bit more and soon fell asleep.

The next few days passed in a blur. We made it to Diagon Alley and I even bought some new clothes. A few pairs of jeans as well as a few shirts. Dom and Starlene loaded up on make-up and clothes. Rose and I also purchased a few Muggle books as well as Roxanne. We visited a few of the wizard neighbors near the Burrow and even had another Quidditch game. A small one against each other instead of the adults. My Dad looked happier than I had ever seen him. He smiled and joked and even said 'y'all' just to make Ron and Harry crack up. I was glad to see him smiling so much.

The bridesmaid dress for Vic and Teddy fit perfectly. I was so grateful for being asked to be a bridesmaid. Vic and Teddy were just too wonderful. James was walking by when I was trying it on. He stopped right in front of the door and just stared. I looked at him with shock. I saw him swallow, hard, and he waved at me before tripping over his own feet and falling to the ground. He stood back up quickly before running off again. Lily rolled her eyes and called him a git.

The night before we left we were talking about how much we all hated Kaelynn.

"I can't believe my git of a brother is still dating that bint." Lily said fiercely.

"He should've told her to get bent ages ago." Dom agreed.

"It wouldn't be so bad if she was nice, but she's not. She's a total whore." I added.

"You think he's in love with her?" Rose asked as Scorpius was leaning against her back in a fierce game of Wizard Chess with Al. Hugo had already gone to bed and Freddie and James were somewhere unknown to us doing something unknown to us.

"No. If he was he'd bring her round for the holidays." Al quipped.

"That's true." Lily agreed.

"Well he better not love The Whore." I said and then all color drained from my face as I saw James standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"You guys talking about Kaelynn?" He asked. Everyone else turned wide eyed towards James.

"James..." Al started but James put a hand up to silence him.

"I don't want to hear it." James said harshly. "You can all 'get bent' as you said. I don't need all of your opinions on who I choose to date or not date. I can't believe you lot didn't say anything to me before hand."

"What were we supposed to say?" Lily demanded.

"Anything besides talking about her behind her back." James spat. "And I can't believe you're in on this as well Paislee. I expected more out of you."

"James, I'm sorry." I told him.

"Save it." James said and walked out. Everyone looked ashamed and Al started to stand up when I stopped him.

"I'll go. This is all my fault anyways." I said and before anyone could interrupt I left.

I had heard the front door slam and assumed James was outside. I assumed correctly as I made my way to the shed a few feet away from the house. I walked in and saw James sitting on one of the shelves connect to the wall.

"James." I said.

"I really don't want to talk right now." James said quietly and I could tell he was fuming.

"James, you're right. We shouldn't be talking about her behind her back like that, behind your back."

"Should've thought about that beforehand." He replied.

"I know and I'm sorry. But if we would've told you that we didn't like her do you honestly think it would've changed your mind?" I asked. He looked at me and said nothing.

"I mean, it's like you said. Our opinions don't matter when it comes to who you want or don't want to date." I continued.

"Well you shouldn't be calling my girlfriend a whore!" He shouted at me. I was taken aback slightly but then I felt my own temper rise. How dare he yell at me like this when he's treated Braeden like dragon dung since he found out Braeden liked me.

"Well now you know what it feels like for me when you call Braeden names!" I shouted back.

"What?" He asked incredulously.

"What you think I can't hear all your little murmurs when he's around me? The 'Git' and "Wanker' and an array of others. But do I say anything? No! So don't get on your high horse James Sirius Potter! Because you do the same thing!" I shouted and I could hear my accent thickening in my anger like it always does.

"Well he is a git and a wanker! I can't stand him! But I can say what I want because he isn't your boyfriend!"

"Well he may just be soon!" I shouted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He demanded.

"Exactly how it sounds! Maybe I'll ask him to by my boyfriend when we get back to Hogwarts? Maybe I'll just kiss him right there in the Great Hall in front of everyone, staking my claim on him!"

"The hell you will!" James yelled.

"It's none of your business what I do and with whom I do it with!" I yelled back.

"I won't let you!"

"Let me? Let me? Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?" I demanded and by this time James was standing in front of me, towering over me. I walked around so that my back was now to the shelf he was just sitting on and James was where I had just been standing. "And why do you even care? You're with Kaelynn!"

"And?"

"AND? And you have a girlfriend James! You obviously don't care about anyone else but yourself! You have got to be the most selfish, most infuriating, and most pig headed jerk I have ever-" I was cut off by James growling, then rushing forward, grabbing my waist and hoisting me onto the shelf before his lips crashed against mine.

Insert shock here.

I had two seconds of realization before he was pressing me back against the shelf and kissing me fiercely. I wrapped my arms around his neck and crushed my own lips against his, pushing my body against his. James growled low in his throat and gripped my waist tighter. I couldn't breathe but I didn't care. We were both so feverish for one another that nothing mattered. His lips moved against mine and I opened my mouth to him as he swept his tongue on my bottom lip. I groaned as he teased me. I gripped the back of his head, crushing his lips to mine and I felt him smile. I have no idea how long we were kissing but pretty soon we both needed air and he pulled away. We were both panting and his lips were red and slightly swollen. I had a feeling mine were too. I knew my hair was a mess from his hands brushing through it but I didn't care. I looked up at him slightly and he gripped my waist again then cupped my chin and brought it up so that we were staring at one another in the eyes.

"I care. I care so much it scares me." He whispered.

"Ditto." I replied as his lips descended on mine again.


	13. Chapter 13

His hands were in my hair, on my face, gripping my shoulders. Everywhere. And my hands were roaming through his hair, his face, gripping his shoulders. We couldn't get enough, couldn't get close enough.

"Merlin Paislee..." James muttered against my lips. I pressed his head closer to mine, crushing his lips against mine.

"You're killing me woman." James commented. I said nothing, just continued kissing him. Any moment I didn't spend kissing James was a waste. Unfortunately we heard someone calling for us. I jerked my head up and James lifted his own head.

"Oh my gosh. We're so busted." I said. James looked down at me and grinned. I was still on the shelf with my legs wrapped around James' waist. I unlocked my legs and sat up a bit straighter. I smiled back at James because I just couldn't help it. Those dimples were too stinkin' adorable.

"We'll be fine. I'll let them know we aren't quite finished...talking, quite yet." He said in a seductive whisper. I blushed furiously and started trying to smooth my hair back. James walked out of the shed and I could hear him talking to a deep voice. It was either Freddie or Al. A few moments later and he walked back in.

"Who was it?" I asked.

"Al. Making sure we hadn't killed each other yet." James said with a grin. I rolled my eyes at him.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him I wasn't as angry as before but that we were still working things out. Now, where were we?" James asked as he walked back up to me. I blushed again and he chuckled softly before grabbing my chin and lowering his face back down to mine.

We kissed in the shed for a good ten minutes; only stopping for air every few minutes. He was a fabulous kisser. I didn't have anyone to compare him to, but I knew he was fantastic. I didn't want to stop, but once I wrenched his shirt from his body I knew that I needed to before things went too far. James must've thought the same thing because he pushed slightly away from me. We were both breathing heavily, panting as if we had just run a marathon. I looked up at him and he rested his forehead against mine.

"We should chill out for a sec." I told him.

"I'm not a hundred percent sure what that means, but I'm guessing you're saying we should take a breather." James replied.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." I said with a laugh. James nodded against my forehead and smiled at me.

"They're probably wondering what we're doing." I said.

"I don't even want to think about what's going to happen once they find out." James said with a groan.

"And what exactly is...this?" I asked pointing to him and then to myself a few times.

"I'm not a hundred percent sure. I know I fancy kissing you and I should've been doing it a lot more often." James smirked. I playfully punched him softly in his rock hard abs. James pretended to be hurt and rubbed the spot I hit.

"What you don't fancy kissing me?" He asked.

"I didn't say that." I told him and smiled despite myself.

"Even if you did I would know you were lying." James smirked.

"Oh shut up." I said with a laugh. "Seriously though, what is this?"

"I dunno American. I mean, I do have a girlfriend and you have an annoying bloke after you whom you seem to fancy a bit. What do you think this is?" He asked me.

I thought for a moment. James put his shirt back on and faced me again.

"I know that I'd drop Braeden like a bad habit in an instant if it meant I could be with you." I whispered and looked at the floor. The admission surprised me, of course I had been thinking that for months now but I never really said it out loud before. James walked towards me and lifted my chin up so I was facing him.

"You know I've been convincing myself for months now that I didn't fancy you. That all I needed was a distraction. And then Kaelynn cornered me at my party, I was pissed so I didn't really know what I was doing and then all of a sudden we were snogging and she was introducing me as her boyfriend. I don't even remember asking, but I went along with it. Kaelynn was my distraction and it worked for a few weeks. Then you went and started dressing all...well sexy is really the only word I'd use to describe it, and every bloke in school started fancying you and I had to listen to the lot of them describe what they wanted to do to you. I almost hexed a group of wankers in Ravenclaw. And then of course Braeden came into the picture and captivated you. I wanted to throttle him. And at the Ball, he was holding you so close and you looked so beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes off of you. Even Kaelynn noticed me staring. She's quite jealous of you." James said and smiled at me.

"I don't see why." I told him.

"She should be. she could never hold a candle to you Paislee. You're funny, smart, adventurous, and bloody gorgeous."

"Kaelynn's way prettier than I am."

"Never. Like I said, she's only a distraction. But she never really could divert my attention from you. You captivate me Paislee." James said softly.

"Really?" I asked.

"Really. I feel like I have to do right by her though. Before we start anything I need to finish things with her." James told me.

"I think that's fair."

"What about that tosser Braeden?" James asked with slight annoyance in his voice. I laughed at that.

"What about him?" I asked.

"Well are you, what was it you said? 'Kiss him in the Great Hall and stake your claim on him?'" James asked quoting what I had said earlier. I blushed.

"No I'm not. But if you don't watch your tone I just might." I warned playfully. James growled and kissed me softly on the lips.

"We're not together. But if he asks me to be with him I'll tell him no, as long as it's because we have a chance." I told him. James stepped back and then grabbed my waist and lifted me off of the shelf and set me on the floor.

"We definitely have a chance." James said and I smiled.

Despite every fiber of my being screaming to spill the beans on what happened between me and James, I kept my mouth shut.

We left the shed and had dinner with the rest of the family and pretended everything was A-Okay. James apologized for freaking out so much and assured his family that he was rethinking his relationship with Kaelynn. Dom and Starlene pestered me about what we talked about and I gave them a good story but for some reason I don't think they really believed me. At least I don't think Starlene did. She kept looking at me and narrowing her eyes at me. I knew it was only a matter of time before she ambushed me and forced me to tell her everything but so far I've been in the clear.

My Dad teared up this time as we said goodbye. I promised to write more often and he did as well. I told him I'd see him once we had our Easter break. We were going to meet at the Burrow again of course and Vic and Teddy had decided we would all have our final dress fittings then too. I was excited about it of course, but also a bit apprehensive. I had never been in a wedding before. Heck, I'd never even been to a wedding before. I was terrified that I was going to trip and fall flat on my face in front of everyone. I was however, looking very forward to seeing James in a tux. I'm sure he'd look devastatingly handsome.

We've been back at Hogwarts for three weeks and our homework load was bigger than anything, which was keeping everyone fairly busy. James and Kaelynn were still together but they seemed to be fighting every single day. Many times the girls and I have walked into the common room to a screaming match between Kaelynn and James. How she keeps sneaking into our common room I will never know. I was on my way downstairs when I heard Kaelynn screaming at James again.

"Then why don't you just go and marry the stupid little foreigner!" Kaelynn shouted. I stopped at the foot of the stairs, still concealed by the wall.

"She's not stupid Kaelynn, I wish you'd stop saying that." James said tiredly.

"Well she's not in Ravenclaw so obviously she's not a genius!" Kaelynn argued. I knew she was talking about me.

"So everyone who isn't in Ravenclaw isn't smart? Is that what you're saying? Because in case you haven't noticed, I'm not in Ravenclaw." James said and I could hear the anger in his voice.

"No, that's not what I meant. I'm just sick and tired of you always hanging out with her James. You're my boyfriend." Kaelynn seethed.

"Yeah, and I'm beginning to question why! She's my friend Kaelynn and she's all alone here. She doesn't have any family members or lifelong friends like the rest of us! She's in a whole different country! For the love of Merlin, she's on a whole different continent! I enjoy her company and I'm going to continue to enjoy her company!" James said loudly.

"No you won't! I won't allow it!" Kaelynn screeched.

"You do not dictate what I do and don't do Kaelynn! I've tried to break it off with you before, but you insisted you'd be better but you're not, you're getting worse. I can't deal with this, I can't deal with you Kaelynn. We're done. And nothing you say now is going to change anything." James shouted.

He's breaking up with Kaelynn?

Kaelynn's out?

HUZZAH!

My heart started beating faster as I heard Kaelynn screech again at James.

"I can't believe you're ditching me for her!"

"I'm ditching you because we aren't a couple anymore Kaelynn. We started out okay, but it's gone downhill. Some of this is my fault. I wanted a distraction and you provided that, but the truth is...I don't want to be distracted anymore." James said.

"She's a total bint James! How can you fancy her?" Kaelynn screeched again.

"I've been putting it off too long now. And she's not a bint Kaelynn. Now, we aren't together anymore so get out. Gryffindor's only." James finished in a deadly whisper. I peeked around the wall so I could see Kaelynn's face, it was something that was too good to miss.

Ah, I wasn't disappointed.

Kaelynn looked pissed. And not the British version of pissed, the American version. She screamed and then reared her hand back and slapped James, hard, in the face. I had to cover my mouth with my hand in order to stifle my gasp.

"Your stupid arse doesn't deserve someone like me!" Kaelynn yelled and then walked out of the common room. I waited a few beats and then walked out of the stairway. James was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I approached him. James looked up at me and his left cheek was red. I winced.

"I've been better." James said dryly but smiled at me when I sat next to him.

"That looks painful." I said.

"A bit. I've had worse though. At least now I'm rid of her." James said and smiled at me.

"You should get some ice on that." I told him. He shrugged and then winced as his shoulder touched his cheek. I waved my wand in the air and summoned an ice pack. He looked at me quizzically for a moment before the ice pack zoomed through the air and into my hand.

"Here." I said and held the ice pack up to his face. I gingerly touched it to his cheek and he hissed in pain as the cold touched his cheek.

"Ouch." He muttered a bit on the petulant side.

"Stop being such a baby." I told him playfully. He scowled at me.

"I'm sorry she hit you." I said.

"It's alright, not like you did it."

"Yeah you're right. I don't feel bad at all." I said with a smirk. James nudged me in the ribs and I winked at him.

"So what've you and Braeden been up to?" James asked trying to sound casual but failing miserably at it.

"Well, he asked me to be his girlfriend last night." I told him.

Which was true. Braeden didn't know about James and I kissing of course so he thought we were gonna pick up where we left off.

Braeden ate his meals with us and sat by me just like before Christmas break. We hung out after class like before, not as often of course because the obscene amounts of homework we now had kind of kept us all busy, but we studied together a few times. I felt really bad for telling him no when he asked. We were in the common room alone, only because Starlene left to get a snack, and he grabbed my hand.

"Paislee, I've been meaning to ask you something." Braeden had said. I looked at him and before he opened his mouth I knew he was going to ask.

"What?" I had questioned.

"Well, we've been spending a lot of time together lately and we even went to the ball together and I just fancy you so much. Do you think, uh, that is, would you like to be my girlfriend?" Braeden had asked nervously. He was smiling though. And I felt like such a jerk when I answered.

"Oh Braeden. You are one of the sweetest guys I've ever known. You're smart and funny and nice, but..." I had trailed off. Braeden let go of my hand and turned away.

"But?" He had asked.

"But...some things happened over Christmas break and I'm...I think...I may be in love with someone else." I had said softly and looked at my hands in my lap.

"It's Potter isn't it, James?" Braeden had asked. I looked up at him and frowned.

How did he know?

"I see the way he looks at you. At the ball, you couldn't keep your eyes off one another. Doesn't take a Ravenclaw to see you two fancy each other. I was just hoping you fancied me more." Braeden had said.

"I'm sorry." I had whispered.

"Hey now," Braeden put a hand on my shoulder and I looked up, "you can't exactly help you love."

I smiled at him. "I'd still like to be friends though."

He grinned back at me.

"I'd like that too Paislee." Braeden had said.

The memory flashed through my head in a span of five seconds and James sat there and waited for me to continue.

"And?" He asked impatiently. I laughed.

"And I told him that I appreciated the offer, but that I didn't quite feel as strongly about him as he did me." I said. I removed the ice pack and he winced again.

"So...you two aren't a couple then? And you're not going to be?" James asked.

I looked at him and smiled.

"Nah, there's this crazy haired, annoying as hell, thorn in my side guy I'm kinda fond of."

"Really now?"

"Yup. What about you? What're you gonna do now that Kaelynn's out of the picture?" I asked.

"Well there's this short, strawberry blonde, country girl I fancy." James said playing along.

"She sounds like a looker." I said with a smirk.

"Oh she is." James said advancing on me. I leaned back into the couch and he kept coming until I was flat on the couch with James on top of me. His arms on either side of me, holding most of his weight.

"What else do you like about this chick?" I asked.

"She's got the most beautiful eyes. So blue they're almost cerulean in color. I could drown in them." James continued huskily.

"I think you might be exaggerating." I said as I felt myself blush

"She also has the wicked adorable accent. I could listen to her talk all day. She has the cutest laugh too." He continued.

I rolled my eyes.

"It's easy to make her laugh too, wanna know why?" He asked, continuing his game.

"Why?" I asked with a smile.

"She's ticklish as hell." James whispered in my ear.

"James! Don't!" I warned and wrapped my arms around my middle. James laughed and then lowered his lips to mine.

I instantly melted and wrapped my arms around his neck, savoring the feel of his lips on mine. He tasted like honey and I couldn't get enough.

We kissed for a few more moments when he pulled away and looked at me.

"I really want to ask you to be my girlfriend right now." James said.

My heart started beating fast as I felt excitement surge through me.

"I wouldn't mind too much." I whispered.

"I think we should wait though." James said.

My heart fell.

Wait?

Wait for what? I wanted him now!

I soooooooo did not just think that.

James must've sensed my disappointment.

"It's not because I don't want to be with you as quickly as possible, because I do. It's just that I just ditched Kaelynn and if we start dating right now people are going to think you've been a bird on the side the entire time I've been with Kaelynn. I don't want that, I don't want you being looked at in that way." James said.

I agreed with him on that. It made sense and of course I didn't want to be viewed that way either.

Wait. What the heck is a 'bird on the side?'

"What do you mean by bird on the side?" I asked. James laughed.

"I forgot how little you know sometimes." James said.

"Hey!" I replied sounding outraged and I pushed against his chest. James laughed and sat up. I sat up as well and we were sitting on the couch together again.

"It means that I was going out with you and Kaelynn at the same time." James told me.

"Oh. Well why didn't you just say that?" I asked.

"It's an expression American." James said with a smile.

"Well, y'all have the weirdest expressions." I insisted. James laughed and leaned over to kiss me again.

I rather like kissing this man.

And that's when we heard them.

James opened his eyes at the same time I did, our lips still connected.

"We're not alone anymore are we?" He asked against my lips.

"Nope." I told him.

"Think they're all there?" He asked.

"More than likely."

"Think they'll leave us alone?" James asked.

"What do you think?" I asked him sarcastically.

"No." He sighed and then the room erupted into shouts and applause.

"I KNEW IT!" Starlene screamed as she ran over to the couch and jumped on top of James and me.

"Starlene!" I shouted as I got a face full of her hair.

"You two are such sneaky little prats!" Dom insisted, running over to us and jumping on the couch like Starlene did.

"Dom!" James shouted indignantly as her knee narrowly missed a vital organ of James'.

"You two are sitting here snogging and we didn't know?" Lily said angrily and followed her cousin's example.

The couch was becoming increasingly crowded.

"I can't believe you two are snogging!" Rose shouted excitedly.

"You know she'll be jumping on you two soon don't you?" Al asked with a smirk on his face.

"You know I will hex the lot of you if you don't get off now?" James said threateningly.

Freddie and Al looked at each other and then at us.

"Get them!" They both shouted at the same time.

"NO!" James shouted but laughter was threatening to spill out of his mouth. Pretty soon Roxanne, Rose, Scorpius, Freddie, and Al were jumping on the couch and on top of us as well. The couch tipped with the weight and we were all sprawled out on the floor with James and I on the bottom.

"What should their punishment be guys?" Starlene asked with a grin.

"They should definitely suffer." Lily said.

"And it should be something they both fear." Freddie added.

"Well, you all know what's next right?" Al asked with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

James and I looked at one another with puzzled looks.

"Tickle them!" Dom yelled and we were attacked.

"No!" I shouted and tried to fight them off but there were eight of them and only two of us. Starlene found my ribs while Dom had my knees and pretty soon I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. The strange thing was when I heard James laughing.

Now I had heard James laugh before of course because it was normally at me. However, I had never heard him laugh with such abandon before. It was uncontrolled and loud and deep and gorgeous and...

Holy blonde cheerleader batman! James is ticklish!

I snuck a glance at him while fending off my own attackers and saw Freddie, Al, and Lily attacking James' knees and stomach. James was struggling to get away just as much as I was and before I could process anything else Starlene hit that spot again and I was lost.

"O-Okay! We're s-sorry!" I yelled through my laughter.

"I didn't hear James apologize, did you lot?" Al asked attacking his older brother even harder.

"AL! S-Stop! Plehehehease!" James laughed.

"Please is not an apology big brother." Al smirked.

"I'm sorry!" James yelled and finally their assault stopped.

James and I lay panting on the floor with the couch still upturned and the rest of the gang grinning goofily at us.

"Prats." I panted and glared at them. They all laughed at my use of the British term.

"Brat." Rose replied fondly. I couldn't help but grin at her. I slowly sat up and wiped the tears of mirth from my eyes and James followed suit.

"So, you two are together now eh?" Freddie asked as he slapped James on the shoulder.

"Er...not exactly." James replied.

"WHAT?" Everyone exclaimed and James and I winced at the screaming.

James told them what he told me and they quieted down.

"We fancy each other and we both have admitted it and are now working on it. Isn't that enough?" James asked.

"For now." Starlene smirked.

Oh Merlin, what have we gotten ourselves into? I thought to myself with a smile.


	14. Chapter 14

The next month felt like a dream. Classes were still difficult and the work load had not decreased in the slightest, but I felt as if I was truly learning life skills. Quidditch was going fabulously and we were still undefeated. And the best part was that James and I spent most of our free time together. We included the rest of the gang every once in a while of course (didn't want them to feel too unwanted), but most of them time we were alone either kissing or learning everything we could about one another.

James' favorite color is red, he loves to watch Muggle cop shows, he longs to be an Auror like his Dad but wouldn't mind being a Quidditch player, he has to wear reading glasses at times, he enjoys playing the American version of football since him and Al and his Dad have been playing the game together since they were small, and he is fiercely protective and loyal to his family. He truly loves them very much. James told me story after story about his siblings and cousins growing up. James and Al apparently get along fabulously, but both have a bit of a hard time with Lily. James told me she has, and I quote, 'Mom's fiery temper and Dad's determination.' Earlier today the three of them had a huge fight. Lily had asked James for the Invisibility cloak and refused to James why. James wouldn't fork it over until she told him why, eventually he needled the reason out of his little sister. Apparently she wanted to sneak away with Delton tonight.

This did not bode well for James.

It soon turned into a screaming match in which Al joined shortly after hearing his siblings yelling. James refused to release the cloak, Lily threatened to tell their Mom, to which James and Al threatened to tell their Dad what it was she was planning on doing with it.

This did not bode well for Lily.

She started shrieking and accusing her brothers of treating her like a child instead of 'the mature woman' she was. James and Al refused to back down so Lily started throwing things at them before finally saying,

"I hate you!" And running out of the common room.

James and Al noticeably flinched at that. Al then swore loudly before marching up to his dorm, Scorpius not too far behind. Freddie tried to talk to James but James just shrugged him off as he too left the common room. Dom and Rose left after to Lily while Roxanne and Starlene went up to our dorm, more than likely to figure out how to deal with Lily diplomatically. Freddie shrugged at me before following Al and Scorpius. I have a feeling Freddie really wanted to check on James, but felt like James may need some space.

Space shmace.

I knew exactly where James was.

The Kitchens.

He had taken me there a few nights ago. I had fallen asleep on the couch after studying for almost four hours straight, when I felt a pair of lips on my forehead. I woke up with a very handsome James Sirius Potter grinning at me. He grabbed my hand, threw the cloak over me and led me down the stairs. He told me that you had to tickle the pear on this painting in order for the entrance to open. I thought he was making fun of how ticklish I was until he did it and a door swung open. The house elves were delighted to see us and immediately began bombarding us with food. We stayed until well after midnight just talking. That night I told him everything that had happened the day my Mom died, about how it nearly killed me to go through it. James listened carefully and wrapped me in his arms once the tears came. He comforted me and assured me that everything was going to be okay.

And now it was my turn to do the same for him.

I made my way down to the Kitchens, only having to hide once when Professor Longbottom was making his way down the hall. I tickled the pear (can we say awkward?) and hushed the house elves as they prepared to bombard me with food again.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"By the baked goods Miss. We can take you there if you'd like." A small female house elf replied.

"No thank you. I'm sure I can find it." I replied with a smile. I slowly made my way through the maze of food products until I finally saw James sitting on the floor leaning against the wall, knees up with his arms folded on top of them, his head resting on his arms. I sat next to him without saying anything; I knew he would talk when he wanted to. A few minutes passed until James finally spoke,

"She hates me."

"No she doesn't, she's just a little upset."

James scoffed, "A little? If that's only a little upset, I'd hate to see her really angry."

"She'll get over it." I told him.

"I'm only trying to help her." James insisted.

"I know. And deep down she knows that too."

"She hates me." He said again, rather hoarsely at that too.

"I promise you she doesn't."

"Yes she does. She hates me and is never going to speak to me again."

"Do you honestly believe she hates you and Al?" I asked.

"Not Al. She could never hate Al, no one can hate Al. He's too good, too nice." He replied.

"Well she said it to both of you, so how do you know she only meant you?"

"She was looking at me when said it. I was the one that started the argument. She had that look in her eyes, that 'I hate you' look I've seen only once." James said.

"What happened?" I asked.

"It's not a very pleasant story." James replied.

"Well, I've got some time to kill. I'm also an expert on unpleasant stories." I told him.

"Right before Lily turned 11 something happened at our Uncle Percy's house. Her and Rose were playing outside while the rest of us were playing charades. Some of the neighborhood Muggle boys happened to see Lily do magic. She couldn't help it of course; she hadn't quite learned how to control it yet. They wanted to see her do it again and when she couldn't they pushed her to the ground. Rose cried out for help and Aunt Audrey was the one to go to them. Lily broke her arm because of the awkward angle at which she fell and hit the ground. Unfortunately the Muggle boys each started growing painful boils. Aunt Audrey was furious at Lily, she started threatening her and chastising her in front of the whole family. Lily rarely cries, but tears were falling from her eyes and I knew it wasn't her fault. Aunt Audrey asked Lily what she had to say for herself and Lily, eyes full of tears and a hatred that scared me, replied, 'I hate you.' She's never spoken to Aunt Audrey since. It's been four years and not a word has been said to her. Aunt Audrey has apologized over and over again and Lily refuses to accept it." James said.

"Wow." I replied. I didn't know what else to say. I knew Lily had a temper but I didn't know she could hold a grudge like that.

"The look she gave me was the same look she gave Aunt Audrey." James said softly.

"James..." I reached my hand to his and squeezed. He returned the pressure and looked at me. He looked so sad and it broke my heart.

"She won't stay mad at Al, but she'll stay mad at me."

"I don't think that's true. Give her a couple of days; I'm sure she'll be fine."

"You don't know her like I do. She's a very determined person, even when she was little. I remember when she was learning how to walk, she was barely a year old and Al was two and toddling away. Al and I were playing and Lily wanted to as well, she pulled herself up to her feet with a little help from the couch and then tried to walk towards us. She kept falling and every time I went over to help she'd give me this look, I swear to Merlin it was like she was telling me to not get any closer. Her face was scrunched up with fierce determination and I couldn't help but laugh. She could've easily crawled over to us, but she wanted to walk. And you know what? She did. I was there the first time she ever walked. I'll never forget it." James said with a ghost of a smile on his face. I smiled back at him.

"You know she loves you James. I know it's hard to see it right now, but she does. She loves you and has two of the best big brother's in the entire world." I told him.

"Maybe..."

"No, not maybe. It's the truth James. I promise. Give her a few days James." I said with a soft smile, James looked up at me and smiled slightly back.

"You really think so?" He asked.

"I do. Just watch."

Oh how wrong I was.

Lily hadn't said anything to Al or James in two weeks. At Quidditch practice she did as she was told without saying a word, only nods and shakes of her head. Poor Delton was having an even harder time. James, Al, and Freddie gave him scathing looks every chance they got. James pushed him harder at practice than anyone else and by the end Delton was panting for breath and barely able to move. I tried to talk to James about it but he just wouldn't listen. I had spoken to Delton about what happened right after I had talked to James in the Kitchens. Delton had no idea Lily was planning anything and assured me that the two of them had only kissed and nothing further. And I believed him. He could've lied to me but he was sincere, I could see it in his eyes. Delton was thinking about breaking it off with Lily because of all the trouble, but I told him it would only make things worse, plus he still really liked Lily.

Dom, Rose, Roxanne, Starlene, and I had all tried numerous times to talk to Lily about it, but she was having none of it. She told us that she had nothing against us, but that she was 'never going to speak to those bossy prats ever again.' Lily was in a foul mood, Al was in a foul mood, and James was in a foul mood. James didn't spend as much time with me as he had before, and when we did hang out he was always so sad. And Lily wasn't even eating at the same table as us anymore. She had dragged Delton over to the Hufflepuff table with a few of her other friends. Practice became even more strained as the days went by, we had barely beat Ravenclaw when Lily decided to do what she wanted to do instead of the plays we had gone over previously. James was absolutely furious.

"Lily what in the name of Merlin were you thinking?" He demanded. She completely ignored him and continued walking to the girls changing room.

"Lily!" He called again and again she said nothing. James growled before marching towards her and grabbing her arm, forcing her to turn towards him.

"Let go!" Lily yelled.

"Not until you tell me what the hell you were doing out there! You could've gotten Freddie hurt!" James said, which was true. Lily was zooming in and out of the other players before flying right under Freddie, making him sway on his broom and almost fall.

"Let. Go." Lily said dangerously.

"I don't bloody give a damn if you're angry at me, but you will NOT endanger this team because of your attitude problem. I am still the Captain of this team and will kick your arse off the moment you do something like that again!" James shouted.

"Do it then! I don't bloody give a damn either, in fact...I QUIT!" Lily screamed. James let go of her arm and raked a hand through his hair before cursing loudly and walking off the field.

I was stunned. I couldn't believe what had just happened. Lily loved Quidditch almost as much as James did. She was taking this grudge thing to a whole nother level. I followed her to the changing rooms and we dressed silently. I could tell she was still angry since she was throwing and slamming things.

"Lily..." I started.

"Paislee, don't. Look, I appreciate the concern but I don't need it. James and Albus have screwed up big this time and I'm through with those prats. I have nothing against you or any of my cousins and I'd like to keep it that way."

"I just don't think quitting the team is the right thing."

"I cannot be under James' reign any longer. He treats me like a child and I'm done." Lily said.

"There's only a few games left before the championship game Lily. We need you. Don't punish the entire team because of the fight you're having with James and Al." I told her.

Lily looked at me for a moment, but said nothing. She tilted her head at me as if considering what I had just said.

"I'll think about it." She said finally. I sighed in relief as she walked out. I finished getting ready and gathering my things before heading towards my dorm. All the girls, excluding Lily, were sitting on Starlene's bed. I squeezed in as well and they all congratulated me on the win.

"Thanks guys. I've been thinking though, we really need to do something Lily." I said.

"I'm not sure there's much we can do, especially now she's gone and quit the team." Starlene replied.

"She might still be on the team. I convinced her to at least think about it."

"Really? Oh that's wonderful! How did you do it?" Rose asked.

"I told her not to punish the whole team just because she's' fighting with James and Al."

"You're right, she shouldn't do that to you lot. She's acting like a total bint." Dom said.

"Dom..." Roxanne chastised.

"What? I'm only saying what everyone else is thinking. She's acting like a right prat." Dom replied.

"Scorpius told me Al's really torn up over this. Apparently he's been acting odd, being distracted, and not paying attention to things. Apparently he wasn't paying any attention in class one day and now he has a detention this Saturday." Rose said.

There was a collective gasp throughout the dorm.

"But...Al has never had a detention before." Roxanne said.

"I know." Rose replied sadly.

"This has to stop now." Dom added fiercely.

"I agree. James is in shambles over this as well." Roxanne said.

"She's right. I hardly ever see him smile anymore. All he talks about is old childhood stories about him and Lily. It's tearing him up." I said.

"But what can we do?" Starlene asked.

"We could do an intervention. Have the three of them sit down and hash it out with all of us acting as mediators." I suggested.

"That's brilliant! We'll trick the lot of them to come to the Quidditch pitch and we'll talk it out with them." Starlene said. We all agreed that sooner would be better. Rose took care of getting Lily down under the pretense of a Herbology assignment. Starlene told Freddie to get Al and James down, which he did under the pretense of a Quidditch play he'd been working on. The rest of us were already down at the pitch when the three of them finally arrived. Lily immediately tried to turn but Rose grabbed her arm and stopped her. Rose and Lily made it at the same time Al and James did.

"Alright you lot, what do you think you're playing at?" Lily demanded.

"This needs to stop and it needs to stop now!" Starlene said firmly.

"We haven't done anything!" Al protested, "She's the one not speaking."

Starlene held her hand up, "It doesn't matter, the whole fight could've been avoided."

"How do you figure?" James asked.

"First of all you didn't have to start yelling immediately at Lily." Dom said.

"Oh so this is all my fault?" James demanded.

"No one said that James, Al yelled too." Roxanne said.

"So it's my fault?" Al asked indignantly.

"Mate, no one is blaming anyone." Scorpius told Al.

"I am." Lily said venomously.

"And you shouldn't have blown up like you did! Or said that you hated your brothers! That's a terrible thing to say." Dom told Lily.

"So this is my fault then?" Lily asked angrily and I had to roll my eyes. Everyone kept assuming we were laying on the blame on just one of the, which was completely untrue.

"No one is blaming anyone!" Freddie cried.

"Freddie's right. You each have had a hand in this fight. It's not just one person, it's all three of you. Each of you could have handled this better." Hugo said.

"I handled it just fine! James was being a controlling git!" Lily shouted.

"I was trying to protect you! Do you know what people would've said if you'd gotten caught? You dodging about with Delton alone at night, they would've thought you were a slag!" James argued.

"You arrogant git! What makes you think we were going to do something like that? I just fancied a bit of snogging without a bloody audience!" Lily yelled.

"No one would've believed that Lils, you would've ruined your reputation." Al added.

"I don't bloody care what people would say or think about me! This is my life!"

"We're trying to protect you!" James yelled.

"It's not your job to protect me!"

"The hell it isn't!" James snarled.

"I'm not a little girl anymore! I'm a young woman now! I can make my own decisions! I don't need your permission!" Lily yelled.

"Dad would go mad if he knew you were out after hours with some bloke!" Al shouted. James nodded his agreement.

"Dad isn't here!" Lily yelled.

At least they were talking right?

"Doesn't mean you get to do whatever you want! You're 15 Lily, you're not an adult!" James shouted.

"You're a filthy hypocrite James! You think no one knows what you and Kaelynn were doing? Snogging in broom closet and dark stairways?" Lily said darkly. I winced. Thinking about James doing those things with Kaelynn was quite painful.

"I wasn't sneaking out of school in the middle of the night!" James defended himself.

"It doesn't matter! I don't give a rat's arse what you or anyone else thinks. I meant what I said two weeks ago and I have no intention of changing my mind, so SOD OFF!" Lily screamed as she turned to walk away.

I had had enough.

"Lily Potter don't you dare leave!" I shouted.

All heads turned to look at me.

"I am so done with this crap! Lily, could James and Al have dealt with this a bit better? Yes, but guess what? They're not the ones saying that they hate you. Do you have any idea how much this is killing them? NO! You're too busy being a brat! And for those of you who don't know a brat is someone who's particularly childish. You say you aren't a child, but you're acting like one! You wanna be treated like a grown up? Then act like a grown up! Stop pouting like a friggin' five year old who didn't get her way!" I yelled.

"How dare you-" Lily tried but I interrupted.

"Do I look like I'm finished?" I asked. She said nothing so I continued. "I would kill to have brothers like James and Al. They're sweet, kind, caring, and nicer than most people I know! I don't have any siblings Lily because that opportunity was stolen from me. My mother was murdered, so any thought of more kids was destroyed! I will never have the opportunity to fight, or play, or joke around with a brother or sister and I would do anything to be able to do those things. And here you are wasting valuable time with your siblings! It takes only a split second for a loved one to be taken away Lily, you don't want to waste any moment being angry...trust me." I finished and tears were pouring down my face. Dom and Starlene came over to me and wrapped their arms around my shoulders while smoothing my hair.

"She's right Lils. I don't want anything bad to happen to any of us and have this hanging over us. I'm sorry Lily, I overreacted and I'm sorry. I just...damnit, I just want you to be careful. I don't want you to get a reputation alright? I've seen what it can do to some girls and I don't want it to happen to you. I love you Lils, I just want what's best for you." James said.

"I agree Lily. I'm sorry too. We shouldn't have yelled." Al added.

Lily had tear streaming down her face as she looked at her two big brothers. She looked at me and I gave her a firm look. She would regret this for the rest of her life if something happened to James or Al. I nodded encouragingly at her after a moment and she went to stand right in front of her big brothers.

"I'm sorry too." Lily whispered. James and Al said nothing as the pulled her into their arms. Lily started sobbing and saying she was sorry over and over again. The rest of us sighed in relief and shortly joined their hug. After a few minutes there was a sudden loud bang as if a firework had just been shot off. A few of us screamed but then stood back to see what made the noise. In the sky the words 'Potter's and Weasley's and Jensen's and Hayes forever!' And next to the words were little stick figures that resembled each of us. Jensen was Starlene's last name and Hayes of course was mine. We were included in their family and it felt nice.

"Couldn't stand the tension." Freddie said with a laugh as he twirled his wand. We all started laughing as well, until it our ribs ached. We soon walked to the bleachers and watched as the day turned into night, each of us showing off a piece of magic we particularly loved. And I'm sure the sound of our laughter could be heard throughout the grounds. And I thought to myself, what could be better than this?


	15. Chapter 15

I wasn't a hundred percent sure if everything was really back to normal. The big fight/make up session on the Quidditch pitch had been three weeks ago and things seemed much better but were still slightly strained. The three Potters were talking again but they treaded lightly with one another. James and Al were trying their hardest to not be so overprotective of Lily when she was with Delton but we could all tell they were struggling with it. Lily was trying to control her temper with her big brothers but was also struggling with it. But at least they were talking right?

Spring was on its way and with that came the Quidditch cup. And guess who's in it? That's right Gryffindor baby! We won against Hufflepuff again which took them out of the running and Slytherin slaughtered Ravenclaw two weeks ago which took Ravenclaw out of the running as well. Leaving Gryffindor vs. Slytherin for the big finale. I'm super nervous but also excited. I've never been in a championship game before which excited me greatly. However, the last few games with Slytherin have left a bad taste in my mouth when I think about them. Last game the beater from Slytherin had bewitched Freddie's broom and almost threw him off before Teddy caught it and fixed it. And of course our very first game with them they had almost killed me. Our games with Slytherin have always been downright vicious, which has led me to be very apprehensive of the entire house. So far there's just been a lot of trash talking but that doesn't mean they haven't been trying or plotting something worse. And of course because of what happened during our first game I was no longer allowed to roam the halls by myself, I constantly had a friggin' body guard...and it was annoying as hell. Most of the time it was James, which wouldn't bother me if it weren't for the fact that he whips out his wand every time he hears any kind of noise. And when Starlene is playing the role of babysitter she regales the tales of her and Freddie's escapades...very, very loudly.

Insert terrible and unwanted image here.

I know they're just trying to protect me and take care of me, but it was seriously getting annoying. But the big match is on Saturday and after that I won't have to worry about it. Practices were everyday now, twice a day and James was even more of a tyrant than ever. It's his last year of course and he wants to win more than anything in the world and I want it for him. We all did. So there was very little complaining and we were all working as hard as we could. Luckily he was giving us today off since it's Thursday and he wants a final run of all the plays on Friday. So Dom, Starlene, Roxanne and I were by the lake, relaxing after classes and trying small spells without speaking them out. We were passing a small pink flower back and forth to one another when we heard James and Freddie coming our way.

"Do they ever leave us be?" Dom asked with a sigh.

"Oh hush; he just misses me is all." Starlene said with a wink to us. Dom rolled her eyes and I laughed.

"Speaking of missing people, I'm off to find Ashton. We're supposed to do our Ancient Runes homework together." Roxanne said and got up, waving to us and then James and Freddie.

"Hello beautiful." Freddie said as he sat down next to Starlene.

"Well hello to you too handsome." Starlene replied and kissed Freddie. Dom made gagging noises and James and I laughed.

"So what brings you lot here?" Starlene asked.

"Bored." James answered with a shrug while settling next to me.

"Finished your homework?" I asked and James groaned. "You're gonna get another detention."

"Nah, Professor Longbottom loves me too much." James replied with a smirk.

"Not if you get another detention! Remember what McGonagall said? One more and you're out of the final." I said.

"You worry too much American; I've got my homework sorted."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Because you're an intelligent woman Paislee." Dom murmured in reply.

"That hurts Dom that really hurts." James replied with mock sorrow.

"Oh sod off you prat." Dom said with a grin.

"Anyone try anything on our dear little American?" Freddie asked with a wicked grin. The really sucky thing about being babysat is that Freddie found it absolutely hilarious and has been teasing me non-stop all week about it.

"I hate you." I told him.

Freddie laughed, "Oh I highly doubt that Paislee, I'm simply too adorable."

"Starlene's opinion about you doesn't count, she's biased." I retorted.

"Oi! I am not biased. When he's being a git I tell him to stop being a git and when he's being adorable I tell him he's being adorable." Starlene argued.

"Biased." I repeated and James laughed.

"You ready for the match?" Dom asked James.

"As ready as I'll ever be. This is the best team we've had in three years, if we can't do it then we never will." James replied.

"Agreed mate." Freddie said.

"I for one can't wait. Slytherin ain't gonna know what hit em'." I said.

"That's the spirit!" James said with a grin at me.

We sat and talked a bit more before finally going inside and eating dinner. Lily and Delton were sitting next to us again, which made me very happy. Al, James, and Freddie had all apologized to Delton about treating him so harshly too. Delton accepted it gracefully and my respect for the younger wizard grew. He really was a great kid. Dom and I were on our way back to the common room to meet Rose, Lily, Roxanne, and Starlene for a little girl time when we were ambushed by two Slytherin boys. I recognized them as two of the Chasers, I didn't know their first names but the tall one's last name was Weatherly and the shorter one's was Flannigan.

"Well well well...look what we have here; the American transfer student and the blonde Weasley. What brings you two birds here?" Weatherly asked. Weatherly was a tall boy with dirty blonde hair that hung in his eyes.

"Sod off Weatherly." Dom replied and tried to walk around him but he stepped in front of her again.

"Is that any way to treat a friend?" Weatherly asked and Flannigan cackled. Flannigan had light brown hair that was almost in a military cut and was slightly shorter than Weatherly.

"Friend? I wouldn't even call you an acquaintance!" Dom said.

"Why don't y'all just walk away before you do something you regret?" I told them. Flannigan sneered at me.

"Why don't you just go back to America?" Flannigan countered.

"And miss kicking your butt on Saturday? No way." I retorted.

"You are sadly mistaken if you think we're going to lose you filthy American." Weatherly said.

"Is that supposed to insult me? Please, spare my life." I said with an eye roll. Dom laughed. This must've really ticked them off because before I knew it I was slammed against the wall while Dom was pushed roughly to the side, the two Slytherin's pinning me.

"Get. Off." I said quietly to them. They pressed in closer and I felt one of them reaching for their wand. I was too quick though and blasted a stinging hex at them without uttering a single word. They immediately yelped in pain before reaching for their own wands but I cast a shield charm up and their spells bounced off. Dom was on her feet now and was casting a shield on herself as well. They were firing curses and I could see my shield weakening with each curse, same as Dom. I was too afraid to cast a curse of my own though in case one of theirs made it past my shield. I knew the curses they were using were not duel friendly, let alone legal.

"You stupid bints are going to pay!" Weatherly yelled. My shield was almost gone completely when I heard footsteps.

"OI!" I heard Al yell.

"Al! Careful!" I yelled. Luckily this distracted the two Slytherin's and I was able to whip another curse at them, this time bat bogey hex. They ran then, screaming obscenities at while Dom and I laughed.

"Are you two alright?" Al asked as he ran to us.

"Yeah, we're fine. Just two idiots trying to intimidate us." I said.

"Dom, you were supposed to be watching out for her!" Al chastised his cousin.

"They snuck up on us Al what was I supposed to do?" Dom cried.

"I am not helpless! I'm a fully capable witch thank you very much!" I said.

"Paislee I didn't mean you were incapable or anything, it's just that..." Al trailed off at the death glare I was currently giving him.

"Sorry." Al said with a sheepish expression.

"Apology accepted. Now, we're not going to tell James about this alright? He's got enough to worry about." I said. Dom nodded her agreement while Al looked down right terrified.

"Uh...Paislee...I don't think keeping this from James is such a good idea."

"Well I didn't really ask for your opinion now did I?" I asked.

"He's very persuasive Paislee if he even gets an inkling about what happened he'll weasel it out of me." Al said looking just as terrified, if not more.

"Then keep your big fat mouth shut and we won't have to worry about it now will we? Be strong Al; don't let your big brother bully you." I told him with a smile.

"Yeah Al, be strong. Besides, what's the worst that James can do?" Dom asked with a smile of her own as we turned and walked away, but not before we heard Al mutter,

"Fillet me alive."

Friday came and went and before I knew it, it was Saturday. The match was set for ten in the morning and we were all up and eating breakfast by eight. I was nervous and didn't have much of an appetite, but knew I had to eat something so I settled for a banana and some orange juice. The team was pretty silent as we ate. Hugo, Dom, Starlene, Rose, and Roxanne were saying words of encouragement to us and we nodded and grunted in response, totally focused on the upcoming game. James seemed a bit distracted and it made me wonder if Al had cracked and spilled the beans about the other night. I reached over and squeezed James' hand; he looked up from his plate and smiled at me before returning the pressure.

"You ready?" I asked him.

"You better believe it American." He replied.

"You look rather handsome in that uniform." I told him. James smirked of course before running a hand through his hair.

"I know." He replied. I laughed at his response before shaking my head.

"You look rather beautiful in that uniform." He whispered in my ear. Chills shot through me and I couldn't help but smile in return.

"What a sweet talker." I said.

"You ready?" He asked me.

"Of course, who else is gonna show these Brits how to properly play Quidditch?" I asked. James laughed at my response.

"Well lead on then." He replied. We continued the meal in silence and then it was time to head to the pitch. The gang wished us luck as we made our way out of the Great Hall, the whole Gryffindor table bursting into applause as well as most of the Hufflepuff table. Once we made it to the boys locker room James immediately went into his 'before game speech.' But this was going to be his last one and we could all see how hard this was for him.

"Alright team, today's the big day. We've been working hard all year for this moment and now it's time to show everyone what we're made of. We've got the strategy, the brawns, the brains, and the gut to win this game today. I have confidence in each and every single one of you. You all have grown as players and as people and I'm...proud to have been your captain this last year. It's my last time as captain, my last Quidditch match and I couldn't have asked for a better team, for better friends. Thank you for making this the most bloody fantastic year I've ever had." James said, his voice growing thick with emotion.

"Here here!" Freddie exclaimed.

"Wouldn't be here without an excellent captain." Scorpius said with a grin at James.

"Gonna miss you next year big brother." Al told James.

"Me too Al." James replied.

"I'm just happy to have met all of you. It's been such a great experience." I said.

"And where would we be without the cheeky little American?" Freddie asked and everyone laughed as I scowled at him.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go slaughter some Slytherin's!" Lily shouted and we all stood up and started shouting as well. Our warrior like cries deafening in the small locker room. We made our way onto the pitch and immediately the stand burst into shouts and screams and applause. James made his way to the middle of the pitch as well as the Slytherin captain. The rest of us mounted our brooms and got into our respective positions. Madam Hooch made her way to the middle.

"Now, I know we've had some rocky games before but I am expecting a clean match understand? Any shenanigans whatsoever and I'll disqualify the offender's team, do I make myself clear?" Madam Hooch asked. James and Upwood nodded but did not shake hands as was customary. The whistle was blown, the Snitch released, and James was in the air with the Quaffle already.

Hugo was commentating this game and hearing his voice was kinda comforting.

"Potter with the Quaffle, passes to Hayes who scores! 10 to Gryffindor!" Hugo's voice rang out. I smiled widely and Lily gave me a thumbs up before catching the Quaffle and zooming towards the goal post. She tried to pass to me but Weatherly caught it instead and zoomed towards Scorpius.

"Weatherly has the Quaffle now and is moving towards Malfoy. Weatherly charges the Quaffle and it's blocked by Malfoy! Better luck next time Weatherly!" Hugo commented. Weatherly cursed loudly before flipping Hugo off and returning to the rest of his Chasers. Al was way up high looking down, trying his hardest to find the Snitch and end the game early. He had told me the previous night that he was afraid that Slytherin wasn't going to play fair. And of course their track record was pretty filthy.

"Now Hayes has the Quaffle again and looks as if she's about ready to score, but wait! Here comes Potter and she passes to him and Potter scores! 20, nothing Gryffindor!" Hugo boomed. The crowd cheered while sea of green and silver booed. I didn't care though; the game was off to a great start.

We scored another 50 points in the next twenty minutes and so far the game had been fairly clean. Of course there were an array of curse words hurled at one another and pushes and shoves that were much harder than what was necessary but nothing too damaging had happened yet. Slytherin had scored twice in the ensuing minutes afterwards and finally Al caught sight of the Snitch.

"And it looks like Potter; Al Potter that is, has found the Snitch! Smith is right behind Potter who seems to have spotted it as well. Potter and Smith are neck and neck! Oh that had to have hurt, Smith just slammed into Potter, but Potter isn't going down so easily! Potter's just taken the lead and his hand is out and reaching...does he...has he...YES HE'S GOT THE SNITCH! AL POTTER'S GOT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

It's almost like a dream and everything is moving in slow motion. I'm screaming with joy by now as we all fly to the ground. Once down we all tackle Al and we're all laughing as we hugged and slapped at each other's backs.

"Good on you Al! I can't friggin' believe it!" I shouted.

"Al I swear to Merlin I will never be mean to you again!" James promised.

"Fat chance that'll happen!" Al laughed.

"We're number one!" Lily screamed.

"Can't wait to tell my folks that Gryffindor, my team, beat Slytherin, their team!" Scorpius said with a laugh.

"This is the best day ever!" Delton added.

"Well said Delton ol' pal!" Freddie said. Madam Hooch was making her way to us with the Quidditch trophy and we all stood to our feet as James grasped the trophy and thrust it into the air. The whole stadium erupted into applause and soon the stands were emptying and Gryffindor's were running at us onto the pitch. We were slapped on the back, enveloped into hugs, and our hair ruffled by our classmates. We slowly made our way into the common room where a party was already set up. There was food, drinks, alcohol (much to Rose and Roxanne's dismay), music, and an array of Gryffindor's and a few Hufflepuff's as well. The team all changed and I of course was forced into an outfit I wasn't comfortable wearing. Dom and Starlene insisted on me wearing a pink spaghetti strapped dress that barely reached my knees and a pair of heels that were at least 3 inches tall. We made our way down and when my eyes met James' I felt my heart beat faster. He was just wearing jeans and a V-neck gray t-shirt, but he was still devastatingly handsome. He smiled widely at me and I saw his eyes travel from my feet to my face. I giggled to myself. James was checking me out.

"Well hello there gorgeous." James said to me as he grabbed my hand and twirled me around. I laughed.

"Well hello there Mr. Potter. What brings you here?" I asked.

"Oh I just happened to be part of this team that won the Quidditch cup." He answered nonchalantly.

"Really now? Sounds like you have quite the team."

"Oh I do. And there's this one player who I fancy quite a bit."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. She's kinda short, but sexy as hell, especially with this little pink dress on." James said as he pulled me close, a slow song playing in the background and we started dancing. I blushed at the close contact and the compliment.

"You played really well today James." I said.

"You were brilliant Paislee. You scored over half of the points." James told me.

"Eh, what can I say? I've got some major skills." I said with a smirk of my own. James laughed at me.

We finished the slow dance and mingled around a bit before I was grabbed by Dom and Starlene and the three of us got the rest of the gang and we danced like fools in the middle. I didn't drink but Dom and Starlene got a bit tipsy. It was well past midnight before the party calmed down. Dom and Starlene were already asleep in the dorm after Roxanne forced them to bed. I stayed a bit longer and made out with James on the couch for a little bit before he went to bed as well. I bid him good night and made my way to my dorm and changed into my p.j.s before settling under my covers and falling asleep thinking about just how perfect this day was.

"Paislee! Paislee wake up!" I heard someone yell in my ear. I looked up blearily into a terrified looking Dom. I was instantly awake.

"What? What is it?" I asked already getting up and changing.

"It's James! He's hurt!" Dom replied.

My blood ran cold. My heart stopped beating and I couldn't breathe properly. I was in a trance before Starlene shook me.

"Paislee, finish getting ready, we need to get to the hospital wing." Starlene told me. I nodded numbly and pulled on a regular shirt and put my hair into a ponytail. I practically ran to the Hospital wing. I burst through the doors with Dom and Starlene behind me and I gasped.

James was lying on one of the beds and he looked...terrible. His face was black and blue, both of his eyes swollen and purple. He had cuts up and down his arms and his right arm was in a cast. His head was wrapped in gauze and there was another gash along his neck. Dom and Starlene started crying immediately. The rest of the gang was already there and hovered around James' bed. I slowly made my way to him and Rose threw herself into my arms and sobbed. I patted her back clumsily before locking eyes with Freddie.

"What happened?" I asked hoarsely.

"He was jumped. Weatherly and Flannigan cornered him in one of the corridors. He was on his way to see Ted." Freddie said quietly.

"What happened to them?" I asked.

"McGonagall expelled them both. James didn't even have his wand with him. He had no way of defending himself." Al supplied. I nodded but said nothing.

"Alright now, I know you're all worried but Mr. Potter's parents will be here shortly and there are already too many people here. Mr. Potter and Ms. Potter, you two can stay but I'm afraid the rest of you need to go back to your dormitories." Madam Pomfrey said kindly. Everyone was too shocked to do much, but obey. I stayed frozen to my spot, unable to move.

"Paislee?" Lily nudged me.

"Hm?"

"Would you like to stay for a bit? We could switch places when my parents get here." Lily offered. I wanted to cry right then and there but I couldn't. I nodded at her. Al and Lily left the room and I pulled a chair up to James' bed side.

I watched as his chest rose and fell shakily. It looked as if he were fighting for each breath.

"Oh James..." I whispered as I grabbed his uncast hand and rubbed the top of it with my thumb. His handsome face was so battered and bruised. I wanted to stroke his face but I was afraid to hurt him more.

"I'm so sorry James, this is all my fault." I whispered to him. I whispered apologies to him over and over again before pressing my lips to his hand and getting up to leave.

"James...get better, okay?" I whispered one last time before walking out and letting Al and Lily back in.

"Let me know when I can visit again okay?" I asked Lily.

"Of course." She replied before grabbing Al's hand and walking back into the room.

I made it back to the common room where half of Gryffindor were huddled up together. Dom and Starlene saw me and made their way to me when I held up my hand.

"I'm just gonna go back to bed. M'tired." I said. They looked ready to argue but I was already half way up the stairs, not really feeling up to talking to anyone.

As I lay down on my bed and pulled the curtains around my bed, I promised myself that I would never, ever, keep anything from James again. Weatherly and Flannigan went after James because of me and my big mouth. And finally the tears came...and didn't stop until I was fast asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

It was 7am by the time I woke up again. I had only been asleep for two hours. No one else was in the room, which meant they had never come up in the first place so I assumed they were at the hospital wing now. This worked in my favor though, my eyes were extremely red and puffy from crying and I really didn't want anyone to see me. I almost lost it when I saw Mr. and Mrs. Potter on my way from James' room last night, or should I say earlier this morning. They had looked worried as they asked me how he was doing. I had told them that I wasn't sure, not knowing exactly what to say. Ginny had hugged me quickly while Harry patted my shoulder before they both hurried towards their son.

I took a quick shower and tried to take the tired look off of my face before I hurried towards the hospital wing. It was Sunday so there were no classes and since I didn't really feel like eating I skipped breakfast. I finally made it to the hospital wing and saw the whole gang was there, including Teddy. I was about to walk out, not wanting to intrude on their family time when Ginny spoke,

"Paislee, how are you dear?"

I groaned to myself at being caught. I was trying to make a quiet exit.

"I'm fine. How's he doing?" I asked, not moving an inch from where I was since I was still intent on leaving.

"He's resting. He's going to be okay though. Madam Pomfrey will be able to heal all his wounds, so St. Mungo's is not a possibility." Ginny replied with a soft smile.

"I'm glad to hear it. I'll leave y'all alone now; let you have some family time." I said turning to walk out.

"Don't be ridiculous Paislee, you can stay as well, you're family too." Ginny said as she motioned for me to come closer.

"I don't want to intrude…"

"Paislee, for the love of Merlin just get over here!" Dom exasperated. I scowled at her before making my way to them.

My eyes immediately sought James. He was still asleep, or possibly unconscious. His breathing still seemed shaky, labored. It hurt to see him like this. Again I felt tears threaten to spill out from my eyes. I blinked quickly and breathed in deeply to stem them off. Luckily it worked. Starlene grabbed my hand and squeezed it, I returned the pressure.

"How are you doing?" I asked Ginny and Harry.

"A bit scared of course, angry too. I don't understand why or how this happened." Ginny said. Guilt washed over me. It happened because of me.

"The two boys who did this were Slytherin's right?" Harry asked and we all nodded.

"Well they were just sore losers is all. Two angry boys who thought they were being clever. They did it because they thought they would get away with it and because they were angry at having lost the match." Harry said.

Oh if that was all there was to it. Of course the being mad at losing part was true, but they really did it because of me. They knew James and I were sweet on one another so they went after him when they failed to get me. And if I had just said something to a professor they would've been on alert and someone would've been keeping an eye on them to make sure they didn't do anything else.

"I don't ever remember us going to such great lengths to get back at someone." Ginny replied.

Harry snorted, "You don't remember when George and I punched Draco in the face fifth year after we won?"

"You punched my Dad?" Scorpius asked with awe.

Harry looked a bit embarrassed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Erm…yeah. He was making some rude comment about our family and we kinda snapped."

"Excellent." Scorpius said with a smile.

"Oh Scorpius, your family isn't nearly as bad anymore. They were actually civil the last time they dropped you off round our place." Ginny said.

"It's still excellent." Scorpius said. Everyone laughed softly, except me as I was still battling with my guilt.

"Unfortunately this fight was done in the middle of the night with no one else watching, unlike our little brawl with Malfoy all those years ago." Harry said.

"Yeah, it was as if they were waiting for him." Al said.

"They probably were; the wankers." Freddie said darkly.

"Freddie." Ginny chastised.

"Sorry Aunt Ginny, I'm just…I'm so angry. I should've been there with him. He wanted me to go with him but I was so tired from the celebration. If I had just been there…" Freddie trailed off as he slammed his fist on the small table my James' bed.

"Freddie, this isn't your fault you understand? You still would've been wand-less and you would've gotten hurt as well." Harry said firmly.

"I could've helped him." Freddie insisted.

"And then you'd both be in here and what good would that have done anyone?" Teddy asked.

"I could've taken them." Freddie argued.

Al snorted, "No offense mate, but Weatherly and Flannigan are huge. They outweigh you by about 150 pounds. Not exactly lightweights. James is lucky he isn't in a worse state."

"But I-"

Ginny cut Freddie off, "But nothing Freddie, no more of this guilt okay? It truly isn't your fault and no one is blaming you. You can't be with James every moment of every day, they would've cornered him alone at some point in time."

"Aunt Ginny is right Freddie, it would've happened sooner or later." Roxanne said as she laid a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder. He looked at her and gave a grim smile before murmuring a 'thanks.'

"How long is he going to be asleep?" Lily asked.

"I'm not sure I'm afraid." Madam Pomfrey answered, making her way towards us

"You're not sure?" Hugo asked with a confused expression.

"It's up to him. He'll wake up when his body feels like it needs to." Madam Pomfrey answered.

"Isn't there something you could give him; a potion or a spell to make him wake up?" Rose asked.

"Sometimes the body knows what's best dear." Madam Pomfrey said. "He's comfortable of course; I've been able to put some a potion for pain in cream form so he's not hurting much."

"Well that's good." Harry said.

"So it's the waiting game huh?" Teddy asked.

"Yes Professor Lupin, we're simply playing the waiting game." Madam Pomfrey answered.

And so that's what we did. We waited.

Ginny and Harry were staying at Hogwarts since they wanted to be there when James woke up. The rest of the gang took shifts. Dom, Roxanne, and I were a team; Hugo, Al, and Lily were a team; and Rose, Starlene, Freddie, and Scorpius were the last team. We relieved one another for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Well, they did, I pretty much stayed with James the entire time. There was a small recliner right next to James' bed that I stayed in practically all day. Madam Pomfrey threw a fit at first but changed her mind after she caught me crying when no one else was around. I guess she felt sorry for me, I didn't want her pity but if it meant I could stay with James I could handle it. I ate every once in a while and slept about three hours each night. We all still had to go to class of course, but the professors were exceptionally flexible with us. Word of what had happened to James spread across the school in a very short amount of time. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and most of Ravenclaw were in an uproar. While James was a cocky jerk at times he was also very popular and very well-liked by just about everyone. The Slytherin's were very quiet lately, not wanting to set off the bomb that was threatening to erupt at any moment. Of course it would be completely unfair to blame the whole house for something only two of them did, but there were very few Slytherin's that seemed upset about what had happened. However, a handful of them had apologized on behalf of Weatherly and Flannigan. About six students had personally gone up to Lily and Al and apologized, loud enough for everyone in the Great Hall to hear.

While everyone else ate their meals in the Great Hall I refused to leave James' bedside. I wasn't eating nearly as much as I should have been but I didn't really have an appetite in the first place and I didn't want James to be alone for even a moment. Dom, Starlene, and Roxanne tried to get me to come down for meals and eat more often but I just couldn't. It was my fault James was there in the first place. James had been unconscious for 8 solid days and it didn't look like he was going to be waking up anytime soon. Madam Pomfrey had even given him an I.V. to help him get the fluids and nutrients he needed. Sometimes Muggles had brilliant ideas. It was supposed to be Hugo, Al, and Lily's shift but I of course had volunteered for it so that they could catch up on some homework when Starlene came in. I was doing my own homework and hadn't heard her come in until she spoke.

"Paislee, you know you really should eat a good meal and get a proper's night rest." Starlene told me.

Did I mention I had sleeping on the chair next to his bed?

"I don't him to wake up alone, especially now since Ginny and Harry had to go back to work." I told her.

Harry had gotten a letter about a lead on a very dark wizard that he'd been trying to find for a few months now. Apparently the wizard was responsible for a few Muggle deaths as well as the death of one of his Auror's. Dad was actually the one that had owled him and Harry was not particularly happy about leaving but Madam Pomfrey assured him that James was going to be just fine, so he had left yesterday. Ginny left for St. Mungo's shortly after Harry left when Hermione had asked for help. A group of Muggles were sent there to have their wounds tended to and their memories wiped. Apparently Ginny's expertise was needed and she too left after the assurance of James' full recovery.

"He'll probably be so out of it he won't even realize no one is here." Starlene said.

"I wouldn't feel right about it." I insisted.

"But you look like hell Paislee."

"I'm fine."

"Liar. Look, I'll be here, why don't you go get some dinner and a good night's rest. It's nearly 9pm anyways and you still haven't eaten. I'm sure the house elves down in the kitchens would be more than happy to get you some food."

"Starlene, I said I'm fine." I said a bit irritated.

"Paislee…"

"Starlene, just drop it okay? I want to be here alright? I _need_ to be here."

"Why? Why do you 'need' to be here?"

"I don't want to talk about it." I said.

"That's the problem Paislee. You haven't spoken much at all since this all happened. You aren't your normal cheery self, you're constantly here and only leave to go to class, you aren't eating properly and you haven't said one word about how you're feeling. You only ask how we are and only want to talk about how the rest of us are feeling!" Starlene cried.

"Well excuse me for being concerned." I muttered.

"I'm bloody ecstatic that you're concerned Paislee, but I don't think you realize how concerned we all are for you."

"Well don't be."

Starlene scoffed, "Fat chance that'll happen. We care about you Paislee."

"I'm glad y'all care, but like I told you. I'm fine."

"Tell me why you need to be here." She insisted.

"No. Drop it, I don't feel like talking about it."

"I'm not leaving until you tell me." Starlene said.

"Then pull up a chair, I don't want your legs giving out on you."

"Paislee Jeannette Hayes, you talk to me right now!"

"No! Freaking-A Starlene just drop it!" I shouted.

"Why do you need to be here Paislee? Why is your health and your feelings so less important than everyone else's? Huh?"

"Because it's my fault James is in here!" I yelled as I stood to my feet and faced Starlene.

Starlene's face dropped its angry look and its place came a confused look.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"It's my fault James is hurt alright? I need to be here when he wakes up so I can apologize to him!"

"Paislee this is mad, how in the world can this be your fault?"

"Because Weatherly and Flannigan went after him because of me!"

"That doesn't make any sense Paislee."

"Dom and I were attacked by them a few days before the match. Dom was only in the middle of it because she was walking with me. Weatherly and Flannigan had me pinned to the wall and tried to attack me but I was quicker and hexed them with a stinging jinx. Al saw what was going on and was going to try to help but I finished them off before he could help. I was almost out of time since my shield spell was just about gone. I didn't tell anyone what happened cause I didn't think it was that big of a deal, just a little duel right? And then we won and they were so angry and I kept throwing them winks and laughing at them during the match and they know how much James and I like each other and they went after him." I said and felt tears gathering in the corner of my eyes.

"Paislee…" Starlene said softly.

"Save it Starlene. Nothing you can say is ever going to make me change my mind alright? If I had just said something to someone, a professor or Prefect or someone then this wouldn't have happened!"

"That's not true Paislee."

"Yes, yes it is! They would've been stuck in detention or something and they wouldn't have hurt him! They beat the living crap out of him Starlene! They didn't even have wands; they just used their fists and feet!" I shouted.

"That doesn't make it your fault Paislee! And how do you think they would've reacted if you had said something and they were in detention during the match, they just would've been even angrier and would've done something even nastier." Starlene insisted.

"They went after him because of me! This is all my fault and I have to apologize! I have to make up for what I did! Not eating and not sleeping good is a small sacrifice considering the sacrifice James made for me without even knowing it!" I yelled and that's when the tears came. I couldn't stop them. I tried so hard but they poured down my face and soon sobs were wracking my body. Starlene started crying too and she came closer to me and put her hands on my shoulders.

"Paislee, James would never blame you for this."

"It d-doesn't matter! It's still m-my fault whether he t-thinks it is or n-not. He's b-broken and bruised because o-of me! I made Al p-promise not to tell h-him or anyone else because I th-thought I could handle it o-on my own! I was w-wrong Starlene! I was wrong, and J-James paid the price. I'm sorry! I'm s-so sorry!" I sobbed.

"That's the biggest load of dragon dung I have ever heard." A tired and hoarse voice said from behind me. I whirled around and saw James staring at me with bleary eyes.

"James!" I cried and quickly ran to his bedside, Starlene not far behind me.

"Oh James it's so good to see you with your eyes open!" Starlene said with a watery smile.

"It's good to be awake…sort of." He said in that same pained and hoarse voice.

"I'm gonna go let everyone else know you're awake now. Madam Pomfrey is talking with Teddy last I checked. It's really great to see you up James." Starlene said before leaving the room. I sat down in my chair next to James' bed and ran my hand softly down his cheek. During the three days James had been asleep the bruising on his face had significantly lessened; the bruising now more of a pale yellow and the gash along his neck was still faintly red but was better looking as well. The bandages had come off of his head now and his hair was messy and matted against his head. And despite all of that he was still the most attractive boy I had ever seen in my life.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him.

"Sore." He replied.

"I bet."

"What's the rubbish I hear about this being your fault?" He asked me.

"James, please. Let's not talk about this. You're awake and your family is going to want to see you." I told him.

James looked at me intensely, as if reading my every thought before he reached up with his uncast hand and stroked my face.

"Paislee…you know what I dreamt about?" He asked me suddenly.

"What?" I asked.

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. The entire time I've been asleep all I've done is dream about you. About wanting to hold you, to kiss you, to just be with you. And you wanna know how I was able to wake up?"

"Hm?"

"I heard you. I've been hearing you speak to me a lot, but hearing you cry, it tore me up and I needed to be awake to tell you to stop being such a git." James said with a ghost of a smile on his face.

"I'm not being a git. I'm just…I'm sorry James. I'm so sorry." I whispered.

"Hey now, none of that alright?" He told me as he pulled my face closer to his and kissed me softly. I was worried about hurting him so I held back a bit, but he growled softly in his throat and tightened his grip on my neck. I laughed softly before kissing him back.

"That's more like it." He said. I rolled my eyes before pulling away softly. Suddenly, the doors burst open and there were shouts of joy as the whole gang entered the room.

"JAMES!" They cried as they all ran to his bedside. James chuckled as they all started talking over one another asking how he was feeling.

"Alright now you lot back away, back away! I need to assess Mr. Potter before you put him back two weeks." Madam Pomfrey said good naturedly. We all dispersed as Madam Pomfrey started assessing James' current condition.

"How are you feeling Mr. Potter?" She asked.

"M'fine." He replied.

"Do not lie to me Mr. Potter; I need to know even the slightest discomfort so I know where to go from here."

"I'm sore…my…my ribs are killing me." James muttered and then winced as he shifted in his bed.

"Alright you lot, time to go. Mr. Potter's parents have been notified he's awake and will be here shortly. Mr. Potter and Ms. Potter are allowed to stay but I'm afraid the rest of you must leave now. Visiting hours will resume as normal tomorrow." Madam Pomfrey said and shooed us all out. The rest of the gang said their goodbyes but I lingered for a moment longer, running my hands through James' hair. He closed his eyes and sighed softly as if savoring the feeling of my hand through his hair.

"I'll see you later." I told him.

"Lily, give Paislee the cloak okay? We've…we've got some stuff to talk about and I'd rather not wait." James told his little sister. I was about to argue with him but he shot me a look so I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Of course James." Lily said and smiled at me.

"What time?" I asked.

"After midnight. Madam Pomfrey goes to bed then and won't be around." James told me. I nodded and kissed his forehead before leaving.

I was not looking forward to this talk.

HPFHPFHPFHPFHPF

Luckily Starlene hadn't mentioned my little outburst to anyone and I was extremely grateful. The gang knew about my meeting with James and they helped as much as possible to make sure I made it. Al and Freddie told me the easiest way to get to the hospital wing without being detected, Dom and Starlene made sure every inch me was covered by the cloak (which wasn't very hard considering how small I was), and Lily made sure Madam Pomfrey was asleep before I left. I quietly made my way to the hospital wing and completely avoided detection with ease since I was under the cloak. I finally made it there and quietly opened the door. Madam Pomfrey's light was off and there was a small lamp on right next to James' bed. He appeared to be asleep but I wasn't a hundred percent sure if he was or not, but I quietly walked up to his bed and sat down in the chair I had occupied for so many hours. I sat there and stared at him for a minute. He was shirtless; the blanket pulled up to his mid chest, exposing the top part and on the side near his ribs I saw some bruising. Guilt rushed through me at the sight and I cleared my throat to stop myself from crying again. I had already lost it once today; I wasn't going to lose it again.

"I'm going to be fine American." James said suddenly. I jumped slightly.

"Never said you weren't." I told him as I pulled the cloak off. James opened his eyes and looked at me, then smiled.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked him.

"Seeing you."

I blushed.

"And getting you to blush." He smirked.

I scowled.

"And scowl." James said with a laugh.

"You're such a dork." I told him.

"Eh, I aim to please."

"How are you feeling?" I asked him.

"Brilliant thanks." James said.

"Liar."

"How are you feeling?" He asked me and I was taken aback by the question.

"Me?" I asked.

"Yes you. How are you feeling?" He repeated.

"I'm fine." I replied automatically.

"Liar."

"Well aren't we just a pair of fibbers then?" I said with a small laugh.

"I'm just sore Paislee. Weatherly and Flannigan…well they kinda kicked my arse." James said with a grim smile.

Insert guilt here.

"I'm sorry." I said softly.

"It's not your fault." James said with a shrug.

I said nothing.

"And this is exactly why I wanted to talk. Why in the name of Merlin do you think this is your fault?"

Again I said nothing. I looked down at the floor, unable to look him in the eyes.

"Paislee, I'm waiting." James said.

"What do you want me to say James?" I asked him.

"I want you to tell me why you think this is your fault!" James said firmly, his honey colored eyes searching mine.

"Because it is."

"How?"

"I'd rather not talk about it." I said quietly.

"Paislee, I've got the gist of why. I heard almost everything you said to Starlene, but I need you to tell me. I don't want to hear it secondhand." James said.

"Why is this so important to you?" I asked him.

"Because you're important to me, and how you view yourself is important to me." James said pulling the biggest puppy dog eyes I had ever seen in my entire life. And to top it off that was pretty much the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me, which only made the puppy dog eyes even worse.

"Awe James, not the puppy dog eyes…" I whined.

And you know what James did? He pouted. Actually stuck his lip out and pouted.

Oh for the love of Merlin.

"Weatherly and Flannigan ambushed Dom and I a few days before the match. We got into a slight…altercation and before any real damage could happen they ran for it. I didn't say anything to anyone because I thought that I could handle it on my own…and obviously I was wrong." I said motioning to James and his plethora of injuries.

"I'm still not connecting on how you're to blame for this." James said.

Is he an idiot?

"James? How can you not see it? If I would've just said something to someone this wouldn't have happened! You would be perfectly whole and in one piece! They beat the living crap outta you so they could get back at me!" I told him.

"No they didn't." James replied.

"James, yes they did. It's my fault you're here and I'm so sorry. I'm so very sorry. I didn't know that by not saying anything that this would happen. Please forgive me." I said as tears gathered in the corners of my eyes.

"Paislee…c'mere." James said and held his arms out. I scooted my chair closer to him and rested my head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me and let me quietly cry. I kept whispering that I was sorry while he rubbed my back. After a few minutes I finally composed myself and looked at James. He reached out and wiped the tears from my face before pulling me closer and kissing me softly on the lips.

"I want you to listen to me Paislee okay?" He asked as he kept my face in his hands so that I couldn't look anywhere else. I nodded.

"I, in no way, blame you." He started. I was about to argue but he shook his head and shushed me.

"Let me finish. Al had spilled the beans about what happened between you and Weatherly and Flannigan the moment he came back to the common room. And don't be mad at him; the kid can't keep anything from me. I know him too well. Freddie and I had cornered them the day before the match and threatened them within an inch of their life if they ever touched you or Dom again, that it'd be the last thing they did. I was stupid to think they wouldn't retaliate. I was even more stupid to have left my wand. This is more my fault than anyone else's. I wasn't being smart; I was being a pompous prat." James said.

"What exactly happened James?" I asked.

"I was on my way to Ted's, I was gonna ask him about an extension for our report on giants since we won the match when someone slugged me from the side. It was really early in the morning so I wasn't expecting anyone to be up so I left my wand in our dorm. I barely had a chance to retaliate when I was kicked to the ground. I'll spare you the really nasty details, but they basically kicked my arse good and proper. It was two huge blokes against one, I didn't stand a chance. I got a few good swings in though." James finished with a smug smile.

"You are such a dork." I told him.

"So you've said." He replied with that same smug smile.

"I'm glad you're awake." I said.

"Me too. You know what would make me really happy though?"

"What?"

"You not blaming yourself." James said.

I looked intently at him, trying to see if he was just trying to make me feel better or if he truly didn't blame me. He seemed sincere so I slowly nodded.

"Okay, I'll try." I told him.

"You know what else would make me really happy?"

"You're pushin' your luck Potter." I told him and he grinned.

"You getting a good night's sleep and a decent meal in you." James said.

"Starlene is such a nark." I muttered and James laughed.

"I'm fine Paislee…I promise. I'll be up and outta here in no time."

I snorted, "Whatever. You're gonna spend the next month in here just wait. Madam Pomfrey is like a mother hen I swear."

"I'll be able to sweet talk my way out of here. No one can resist my charms." James said with a smirk.

"You're insufferable." I told him.

"Go on Paislee…go to bed now and sleep in alright? That's what the weekend is for." James said.

"You sure you're gonna be okay?" I asked. "I can stay. I've been sleeping here for the past week anyways."

"No, I need you rested so you can help me escape."

"Fat chance." I said and he smiled at me. I bent down and kissed him before turning to leave.

"Hey American?"  
>"Yeah?" I asked and turned to face James.<p>

"Promise me you'll let this go, that you won't continue blaming yourself."

"I'll try James."

"Try real hard okay? For me?" James asked with puppy dogs in full force. I rolled my eyes but started smiling, feeling myself cave completely.

"Oh for the love of Merlin, yes James I'll try, I'll try really hard." I told him. He grinned at me.

"Thanks."

"You are such a cheater, using those puppy dog eyes." I said.

"Not my fault you cave easily." James smirked.

"Go to sleep James." I told him before leaving.

I made my way to my dorm and climbed into bed. Starlene was still awake and was looking at me, waiting to see if I would talk to her. I smiled at her.

"Tomorrow." I whispered. Starlene smiled back at me before nodding and settling under her covers. I climbed under my own and sighed deeply, completely exhausted and looking forward to a good night's sleep for once. James was going to be okay.

And me?

Well, I'm working on it.


	17. Chapter 17

The next couple of days seemed to be much better now that James was awake. We kept up the team rotations we had been doing when he was unconscious, except now the gang made sure I wasn't skipping out on meals or sleep. Even James agreed with kicking me out.

Jerk.

I was still able to stay a bit longer on the weekends though. Madam Pomfrey let me stay with him until close to midnight on the weekends; I figured she still had sympathy for me. Whenever it was just James and I she would sneak glances at us and smile softly. It was a bit odd, but I never dwelt on it. I was too busy with the new duty we had to add to our list of things to do for James; make sure James didn't' escape.

James was totally restless, even worse than I had been!

Okay...well...maybe not worse.

Every few hours he would claim the need to get up for something and we would immediately push him back down on his pillows or threaten to call Madam Pomfrey. James claimed he was feeling better but once he tried to sit up or stand for too long he would get dizzy and nauseous. Harry and Ginny tried to ensure James' full cooperation but their son was quite stubborn. Harry and Ginny needed to leave, but Ginny was worried about her son and didn't want to leave, despite Madam Pomfrey's promise of his full recovery and James' insistence that he was fine.

"I'm fine Mum." James said with a sigh.

"Are you sure? You're still pretty bruised." Ginny said uneasily. This was true. While the bruises were starting to fade, they weren't completely gone and the really bad bruising on his ribs were still purple in color; which made his breathing still labored.

"I'm fine though Mum, I promise." James repeated.

"Ginny, he's gonna be okay." Harry said as he wrapped an arm around her waist. Ginny was standing at the head of James' bed on the left side while I was on the right. Al and Lily were at the foot of his bed while the rest of the gang was helping Teddy with a few wedding plans. They promised to come up after a few minutes to say goodbye to Ginny and Harry.

"Dad's right Mum; James has more than enough people to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." Al said.

"You mean anything more stupid than his normal stupid right?" Lily asked.

"Oi!" James cried indignantly.

"You'll take care of him won't you Paislee?" Ginny asked me. I was startled by her question, but touched as well.

I smiled at Ginny and nodded, "Of course I will."

"Now I feel better." Ginny smiled.

"So now that you have a babysitter for me you feel better? What, you don't trust me?" James asked.

Ginny scoffed, "I trust you about as much as I trust your Uncle Ron not to touch a pie that's sitting in front of him."

Harry snorted a laugh while James looked offended.

"That hurts Mum."

"Oh hush." Ginny replied.

"You ready dear?" Harry asked his wife.

Ginny sighed, "I guess."

"We'll see you in a few days Mum; remember Easter break is the week after next." Lily said brightly.

"That's right! We'll all be at the Burrow then. Your lots final dress robes fittings will be then, so be prepared. Only two more months until Vic's and Teddy's wedding." Ginny said excitedly.

"We'll meet the rest of the crew at Ted's office. See you later son, get well alright? And listen to Paislee...she'll tell us if you misbehave." Harry said with a wink towards me before ruffling his son's hair. James tried to duck out of his father's reach but failed. Harry laughed. Ginny bent down to kiss James' forehead. James allowed her to and his cheeks turned slightly pink at Al's snicker. Ginny brushed a few strands of James' hair from his face.

"See you soon love." She told him and then went to hug and kiss her other two children, Harry following his wife's lead.

"Bye Mr. and Mrs. Potter." I said with a wave.

"You're never going to call us by our first names are you?" Ginny asked with an amused smile.

"Probably not." I replied with a smile of my own.

Well, whenever you feel ready, we'll be fine with it." Harry told me.

"Thanks...Harry." I said with a sly smile.

Ginny laughed, "I forgot how cheeky you can be. Now come here and give me a proper hug."

I obliged and even Harry gave me a hug. They waved goodbye once more before leaving and James scowled at his two younger siblings.

"Stupid huh? And more stupid than I normally am?" James asked in annoyance.

Lily and Al snorted at the same time, making me laugh.

"You have been known to do crazy and stupid things." Lily said.

"I agree with this." I quipped.

"Oh that's a right laugh; Paislee Hayes is saying that _I_ do crazy things." James said sarcastically.

"Are you trying to say I do crazy things?" I demanded.

Uh-oh, lovers spat. C'mon Lils, let's get out of here before Paislee turns him into a newt." Al said with a laugh. James and I rolled our eyes before shooting Al a look. Lily waved as the two of them walked out.

"Those two drive me mad." James said with a wry smile.

"I'm sure the feeling's mutual." I replied with a laugh. "Now, what's with me being crazy?"

James barked a laugh, "Did I stutter?"

"I just don't see how I'm the on that's done crazy things."

"How bout the fact that you are practically fearless, which isn't exactly a good thing. Your first two months here you managed to tick off Slytherin's Keeper so much that he grabbed a Beater's bat and knocked you out with a Bludger, you also volunteered your first day in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and you also took on two huge, stupid, complete wankers with very little help. I'd deem those things crazy." James said and gave me a dimpled grin.

I melted.

He was just too damn attractive.

"Yeah well you're just as crazy as I am." I told him.

"Oh silly American, I'm on a whole other level."

I rolled my eyes at him.

"How much longer do you think I'll be in here?" James asked me.

"Oh you're gonna be in here until the day we leave." I laughed.

James sighed, "I had a feeling you'd say that."

"Well what did you expect James? I was there for a week and I was less damaged than you are now!"

"Easter break isn't until next week though, I dunno if I can last."

"Man up." I joked as I ran my fingers through his hair. James closed his eyes and sighed contentedly, pushing the top of his head into my hand.

"I miss touching you." James said.

"We were just holding hands." I laughed.

James shook his head, "It's not the same. I miss holding you, running my own fingers through your hair, kissing you..."

"We just kissed yesterday."

"No, kissing you properly. Grabbing your face in between my hands, starting sweet and slow, building up the pressure until we both can't stand it." James said softly.

I blushed.

"At least I can still make you blush." James said with a slight smirk.

"You blush too ya know."

"Not nearly as easily as you do though."

I rolled my eyes at him before looking across the room, seeing Madam Pomfrey make her way towards us.

"Alright Ms. Hayes, it's time for you to go. It's dinner time and I'm under strict orders by Mr. Potter here and the rest of that lot, including Professor Lupin, to make sure you eat." Madam Pomfrey said with a fond smile.

"Professor Lupin is in on this too?" I cried.

"You can blame Starlene for that one." James said with a laugh.

"Y'all are a bunch of sneaky little devils." I said and scowled at him.

"You can visit Mr. Potter after you've eaten." Madam Pomfrey assured me as she ushered me out of the room.

I sigheed, not wanting to leave but the truth was that I was indeed hungry. I made my way down to the Great Hall and found the gang at the far end of the Gryffindor table, they waved me over and I sat down next to Dom and Starlene.

"How's he doing?" Starlene asked.

"He says he's fine but I can tell he's still hurting. He keeps siphoning the pain potion out of his daily ones." I answered.

There was a collective gasp at the table before Roxanne asked, "How can you tell?"

"I'm not really sure...it's just there are these times when he'll move or something and his jaw will clench or his fingers will clutch the mattress hard. It's little things, but I can see them."

"We should tell Madam Pomfrey." Rose said.

"I don't think so." Al said.

"Why not? He needs to be taking something for his pain." Dom said.

"He obviously doesn't want to take the pain potion for a reason, if he thinks he can handle it we should let him try. If it gets to be too much, then we'll say something." Al offered.

"I'm not exactly comfortable with that...but I guess it's what he wants..." Dom said uneasily.

"I don't think we can stop him from doing it anyways. If we take away his wand he'll just stop drinking the potion. As much as Madam Pomfrey likes to think she can force him to drink it, she can't." I said.

"And James is quite the stubborn git when he wants to be." Lily added.

We all laughed at that.

"You think Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny will arrest the two wankers?" Hugo asked.

"I dunno...I mean, Aunt Ginny was furious of course. But Uncle Harry seemed more..." Dom trailed off.

"Rational?" Freddie supplied.

"Freddie!" Starlene chastised.

"What? We all know Aunt Ginny tends to act irrational!" Freddie defended.

"Of course she's irrational at times look at who she grew up with!" Lily said with a laugh.

"You're right, Uncle Percy was probably a nightmare to grow up with." Hugo said with a slight smile.

"You are all impossible." Roxanne said with an eye roll.

I smiled at the family banter. It was nice to just watch them interact with one another. They were all so very close and sometimes I felt like I was an intruder into their family moments, but they were always so open and welcoming that those feelings would immediately be washed away, especially when it came to Ginny. Starlene and Scorpius grew up with the Weasley's and Potter's so it was easier for them, but I was slowly learning that they truly thought of me as family.

We finished dinner with me a little on the quieter side as I listened to my friends talk to one another. Once we were done Rose, Starlene, Freddie, and Scorpius went to take their shift with James while the rest of us caught up on homework (or in Lily's and Hugo's hang out with their significant other's). Once I was done with my Potion's essay and my Herbology plant matching homework I decided to write my Dad and let him know how James was doing.

I missed my Dad terribly. He always knew what to do when I was upset. When I was little and had a nightmare he would pick me up and take me to the living room. We would sit on the couch with the fireplace on, lighting the entire room in a warm glow. I'd be sniffling from crying still and Dad would make us hot chocolate. We had these huge mugs that he'd fill to the top with marshmallows and whipped cream. We'd sit in silence, drinking our hot chocolate until Dad started telling me stories about him and my Mom, or stories when I was a baby. And then he'd sing to me and before I knew it my Mom's voice would join his. She'd sit on the other side of me and they both would sing until I was asleep again. And even though my Mom wasn't with us anymore, my Dad would still sing to me whenever I was really upset or scared. They're the reasons why I sing, I learned from them. I told my Dad that I missed him and couldn't wait to see him for break. We were planning a trip to Alabama once I graduated from school, after Vic's wedding. Dad was gonna help me set up an apartment near the Healer training school. It was located in Atlanta, Georgia which wasn't too far from Alabama.

I hadn't told my new group of friends this yet.

Of course they knew I wasn't staying. I had told them this ages ago. I would miss them all terribly of course, but I still had a life back in the states as well. I missed my grandparents and my other friends. I couldn't just turn my back on them, especially since Mom is gone and Dad's new job keeps him on another continent. I couldn't just turn my back on them. Plus, I missed America. England is fantastic, don't get me wrong. It's just hard to live in a foreign country when all you've known is somewhere else. I also missed going to my Mom's grave. I'd visit at least three times a week every week when we were home. I'd have a new bouquet of flowers every time and I'd just sit there and talk about my day. It's nice to just sit outside and be near her. It helped me believe it or not, to just sit there and talk as if she could hear me.

I wasn't sure how well this was going to go over when I told James of my plans. I'm sure he'd be upset, but...there's not much I can do. He still hasn't even really asked me to be his girlfriend yet. I knew he was going to soon, but he still hadn't just yet. And besides, being boyfriend and girlfriend didn't mean we were married or anything, I'm sure he had plans for his own future that didn't necessarily involve me. And of course just because we were going to be separated didn't necessarily mean we weren't going to talk to one another ever again. I will still write each and every single one of these crazy Brit's weekly and visit every chance I got of course. Still...I wasn't particularly looking forward to that conversation with James when it came up. And I planned on it not coming up anytime in the near future.

I finished my letter to my Dad and decided to write a few to my friends as well. Kerianna had threatened to kill me if I didn't send a picture of James to her so I obliged and told them all of how much I missed them and how wonderful James and my new friends were and I even included a photo of the gang and me. It was a picture that was taken during Christmas break. We were all standing in front of the Burrow, snow was in the yard and was falling from the sky. We were laughing at something Ron, Harry, and my Dad were doing, making faces at us or something. Every once in a while James would look down at me and would smile. It was a really nice picture.

Once I was done with my letters I walked back to the common room and saw that Starlene and them were back and that Al, Lily, and Hugo were now doing their shift at James' bedside. It was nearing 10p.m. and I was anxious to see James before it was too late. I knew I had just been there, but I didn't like leaving him very much. The other's let him get away with too much. At least, that's the reason I convinced myself was why I wanted to be with James so often.

The real reason?

Well to be perfectly honest...

I love him.

I am so in love with this boy that it scared the hell out of me. I was finding myself needing to be near him more and more, needing to touch him, to talk to him, to kiss him. The love I had for him only grew every time I was around him. I was constantly being reminded of how wonderful he was. How he made me laugh, and could be so unbelievably frustrating and charming at the same time. I could be ready to throttle him and he'd flash me a charming smile and I'd melt.

I love him, and that's all there is to it.

"Paislee?" Starlene said suddenly, pulling me from my musings.

"Hm?" I asked raising my head.

"You have an hour if you'd like to visit James. You better be back in time for bed though!" Dom added sternly.

"Yes Mom." I replied and she smacked the back of my head.

"Ouch! What was that for?" I cried.

"What is it normally for?" She asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, yeah I know, I know. My 'cheek.'" I said and waved her off. I ran to our dorm for a moment and changed into a nicer pair of black yoga pants and a long sleeve white shirt before I made my way to James. It was almost 11 at night when I finally made it. I practically burst through the doors and immediately felt at peace the moment I saw his face.

He looked frustrated and I could only imagine what Madam Pomfrey had done to give him that adorable angry look on his face.

"What's got your wand in a knot?" I asked with a smirk on my face. James looked up at me and his face broke into a wide smile.

"Who says my wand's in a knot?" He asked.

"That angry look on your face." I answered with a laugh. "Did Madam Pomfrey catch you siphoning the pain potion from your normal ones?"

"What?" James asked incredulously.

"Don't 'what' me James Sirius Potter, I know what you've been doing." I said slyly.

"I guess Mum was right in choosing you as my babysitter." James muttered with an eye roll. I laughed before I bent down and kissed him. James wrapped an arm around my neck and pulled me closer to him. I allowed it for a moment before he shifted and I felt his jaw clench slightly as the movement had left him in pain. I pulled back and he groaned.

"You're hurting." I said.

"Only because you aren't closer to me."

I scoffed, "No, it's because you're trying to do more than you should."

"I haven't been doing more than I should since I woke up."

"That's because I'm a good babysitter." I replied.

"I'm not a baby that needs to be watched." James insisted.

"Your Mom seems to think so." I replied with a smirk.

James scowled, "My Mum is a bit high strung."

"I think she just loves you and is worried about you." I told him. And the moment I said the word love I wanted to tell him that I too loved him. But I chickened out of course, and in all honesty I wanted him to be the one who said it to me first. It might've been old fashioned, but I didn't want to confess my love for him and have him not love me back.

Unrequited love is the worst thing ever.

"Yeah she does and I love her too don't get me wrong, but I can't wait to get out of here." James said.

"I can't wait for you to get out of here either. I miss you." I told him, the last part coming out in a whisper.

"I miss you too Paislee. I miss being able to go and see you whenever I want."

"Well if you'd call off the hounds I'd be able to hang out here a lot longer." I told him.

James chuckled, "I'd rather you be healthy thank you very much. And besides, I want to get out of this room and be with you somewhere other than this hospital bed. I hate being stuck here."

A wave of guilt washed over me when he said this.

"I"m sorry James." I whispered. James' head snapped up and he gave me a look.

"Paislee...we've been over this, it isn't your fault I'm in here. I thought the gang would've beaten these thoughts out of you by now." James said with a slight smirk. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I have received quite a few head smacks from Dom." I told him and he laughed.

"Well, when I do make it out of here we should celebrate." James said.

"Freddie, Al, and Scorpius are already planning a huge welcome back party." I told him. Freddie was practically bursting at the seams about it already.

"I meant just me and you." James said softly.

I was taken aback by this and I felt my face heat up slightly.

"You mean...like a date?" I asked.

James' own cheeks reddened a bit, "Yeah...like a date."

"I'd like that." I said softly and smiled at him. James beamed back at me, flashing those dimples again and I couldn't help but lean over and kiss him. James kissed me back, our lips moving over one another's fitting perfectly. James deepened the kiss and pulled me closer until I was practically on top of him.

"James!" I whispered in protest.

"What?" James asked innocently.

"What if Madam Pomfrey walks in?" I asked.

"She won't notice?" James asked and I rolled my eyes before shifting off of him. James hissed in pain and I noticed I had braced myself against his ribs and I immediately shot out of the bed and back into my chair.

"Oh James! I'm so sorry, I didn't notice!"

James winced and shifted slightly before another hiss of pain escaped his lips. "S'okay Paislee...you didn't know."

"Let me see." I said and stood up.

James wasn't shirtless yet, but he had a button up shirt that wasn't buttoned all the way. I guess it gave Madam Pomfrey better access to his ribs so she could check up on him.

"M'fine." He said through clenched teeth, obviously trying to control the pain.

"Just let me see." I said. James sighed and unbuttoned his shirt the rest of the way.

I gasped at the damage.

James ribs were still lined with dark purple splotches. His chest was heaving shakily with each breath and he was clenching the sheets in his fists, riding the wave of pain.

"They really did a number on you huh?" I asked.

James grimaced before nodding, "Well, let's concentrate on something else. What're we gonna do on our date?"

I was uneasy about answering but James seemed desperate for a change in the conversation so I shrugged.

"Well, there's a Hogsmeade weekend when we get back from Easter break. We could go to the Three Broomsticks, visit Zonko's, stroll to the Shrieking Shack and snog..."

"James!" I cried as my face flushed. James grinned at me.

"You have to admit, it sounds ideal."

"Fine, it sounds ideal." I told him.

"Hey Paislee...before we go on our ideal date, I have a question for you." James said.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"Would you like to be my girlfriend?" James asked.

HUZZAH!

"Oh James! Yes! Yes of course! I'd love to be your girlfriend!" I told him excitedly and had to stop myself from tackling him so I grabbed his face and kissed him fiercely. James responded in kind and moaned. I didn't want to stop kissing him but after a few minutes we did stop.

"I had this huge romantic thing planned to ask you...but then I got my arse handed to me. I didn't want to wait another day though, I wanted to know that you were with me and only me. I apologize I didn't ask you in a better situation." James said.

"James, the only thing I care about is being with you. So as long as I'm with you and only you, I don't care how you ask me." I told him. I bent over and kissed him again for another few minutes before I sat back and sighed, curling my legs into the chair and snuggling closer in it's softness.

I was getting tired.

I smiled widely at James before yawning.

Yawning was a mistake.

"You're tired, you should go to bed." James told me.

"I"m fine." I told him.

James chuckled, "Then why do you look as if you're about to fall asleep on that chair?"

"You're seeing things." I told him sleepily.

Instead of answering, James started humming; a soft melody that I didn't recognize. James' smooth and deep voice was very soothing and I found myself slowly falling asleep, thoughts of officially being James' lulling me to sleep. 

**James' POV:**

She was asleep within minutes. I had no idea what I was humming, it was just some tune that popped into my head, but whatever it was it lulled her right to sleep. I figured she was still exhausted from keeping a constant vigil while I was unconscious.

She was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I couldn't believe she was mine. My girlfriend.

Jeez, that was going to be a hard title to get used to. I don't really feel like I deserve her. She's so kind, so caring, so bloody gorgeous and brilliant.

Her hair was longer than when we first met. It hit past her shoulders now and her bangs were longer too. I liked it longer. It made me want to run my fingers through it and I couldn't wait until I was out of here and could do it. Her pale skin highlighted the freckles that spread across her cheeks. Whenever she blushed the freckles were a lot less noticalbe, but made her look adorable nonetheless.

Her breathing was even and a small sigh escaped her lips. I closed my eyes and savored her presence being there. It was amazing, how dependent I've become on this tiny American. I've never really needed anyone before, but I felt as if I needed her. Needed her to be around me, to touch me, to kiss me. It was scary as hell and exhilarating at the same time. And that's when I came to the conclusion I was currently mulling over in my head.

I love her.

I'm one hundred percent in love with her.

And nothing was going to change that. 

**A/N: AWE! So what did y'all think about it?! Paislee and James are finally an official couple and have admitted to themselves that they're in love! Now all they glottal do is tell each other! Easter break is soon and then only a few more weeks until graduation! Is Paislee going to continue with her plans to go back to the states? I dunno! Leave me some love as they leave me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside!**


	18. Chapter 18

Easter break couldn't have come quickly enough. I needed a break from studying. All of the professors seemed intent on killing us. My headstone was going to read:

Death by over-studying.

Insert sigh here.

Luckily though, Easter break was finally upon us! The whole gang was super excited of course, but our excitement couldn't even match James' excitement. He had been even more restless than usual, itching to get out of the place he had been in for a month. James was given the go ahead to leave the Hospital Wing the morning we left. He practically shot out of his bed and ran down the stairs to his dorm. He was still a little sore, but he was pretty much healed by now. Although, when you got him laughing, he would beg for us to stop making him laugh as it still hurt his ribs a bit. We wanted to throw him a party in the Common Room but we were all leaving a few hours after he got let out so we decided to do a small celebration at the Burrow and then throw a really great shin-dig once we got back to Hogwarts.

Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Potter picked us up again. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and my Dad were still stuck at the Ministry finishing up paperwork on some old Death Eater they had just caught. Apparently he had been on the run since the end of the war, some jerkface named Travers. I'm not sure if that was some kind of nickname or if it was his first or last. All I know was that he was a part of The War and on the Death Eater's side; ere go he's a jerkface.

"Oi! You lot! Over here!" Mrs. Potter called. We all turned towards her voice and ran to her. Ginny hugged her two youngest first, before pulling James tightly against her and kissing his head.

"Mum...c'mon now, everyone's looking." James said, a bit on the embarrassed side.

"I don't care. I've been so worried!" Ginny cried.

"Mum, I'm fine." James said as he wiggled out of his Mom's hold. Ginny finally released him and went to hug her nieces and nephews. Rose and Hugo went to Hermione and hugged her before switching to Ginny. Starlene and Scorpius went with the rest of the gang without hesitation. I, of course, stayed in the background.

This did not bode well for Ginny and Hermione.

"Is she ever going to accept the fact that she's part of the family now?" Ginny asked Hermione with a sigh.

And of course she said it loud enough for everyone to hear and wasn't really asking Hermione, but making a statement.

"I dunno Ginny...she's pretty stubborn. I believe she'd give Ron a run for his money on stubbornness." Hermione answered with a sly smile on her face. I of course, immediately blushed. This caused everyone to laugh as I dragged myself to Ginny and Hermione, allowing them to envelop me in a hug.

"You do know you are going to have to get over this whole shy thing right?" Ginny asked as she pulled back and held onto my shoulders.

"I'm trying." I whined. Hermione and Ginny laughed. I saw James walk up behind his Mother and smirked at me.

"Yeah American, especially now that you're my girlfriend."

Have I mentioned that James and I haven't told anyone that we're officially dating?

"OH MY GOSH!" The gang shouted all at once. They rushed over to us and soon I was being hugged and grabbed and patted by everyone. There were shouts of 'Yay's' and 'About time' and 'Just think of what their children will look like.'

Oh for the love of Merlin, what did James just do to us?

"How could you not tell us?" Starlene demanded.

"It just happened!" I cried.

"Doesn't matter, we should've been the first to know." Dom added with a scowl.

"Can we fight about this later? I'd like to get to the Burrow and eat. I'm starving!" Al said. Scorpius nodded his agreement.

"Good idea little brother." James said and ruffled Al's hair. Al squawked indignantly and batted at his brother's hand. Hermione and Ginny ushered us to a car and soon we were flying back to the Burrow. The ride was filled with stories and questions about James' health. James answered his Mother's and Aunt's questions diplomatically but eventually changed the subject to Lily's studies for her O.W.L.'s. We finally made it to the Burrow and we all practically ran inside to eat. Mrs. Molly Weasley had a feast prepared for us. We walked to the back though since there were just too many of us to fit in the kitchen.

"When is Dad gonna be here Mum?" Rose asked Hermione.

"I dunno Rosie. It'll be a while, we've been looking for Travers for years." Hermione replied, a frown on her face.

"Glad he finally was caught though." Hugo commented.

"Yes, he was very involved in Voldemort's reign. Had a slight run in with him once, we were disguised and trying to sneak into Gringott's. He followed us there and almost gave us away." Hermione said, her voice taking on a distracted tone.

"You okay Mum?" Hugo asked. Hermione's eyes blinked rapidly before she looked at her son.

"Yes dear, I'm fine. Just reliving old memories." Hermione said with a sad smile.

I frowned. I think sometime's people forget just how life-changing a tragedy like that can affect someone. I mean, seeing my own Mother murdered in front of me screwed me up forever. I still have nightmares about it. And Hermione...well, she actually had to kill people herself. Harry and Ron too. Apparently Ginny had a hand in a few Death Eater's demise as well. Death isn't exactly something you can just get over. My heart ached for them.

"When are Teddy and Vic getting here?" Lily asked.

"Tomorrow. That's the fitting as well, so be sure you're up by 9 alright?" Molly answered. The males of the table groaned.

"Can't we just make sure it fits the day of the wedding?" Freddie asked.

"No." Angelina answered her son.

"But Mum-"

"No buts Freddie. This is about Teddy and Vic alright? Let's make everything as painless for them as possible." Angelina said.

"Fine..." Freddie grumbled. George elbowed his son in the ribs and winked at him, this made Freddie smile.

The meal went great and soon we were all heading to the back to play Quidditch. It was bittersweet getting back on my broom since the season was over, but I relished the feeling of flying through the air. It was one of the greatest feelings. We weren't really keeping score or anything, just zooming around the field and passing the Quaffle around. We finished playing that game and made our way to the living room to watch Al and Hugo play chess. Freddie and James got bored though and went to their room to 'look at something.' We didn't even ask, scared of what their answer would be. They both had identical wicked grins on their faces which could only mean one thing: they were up to no good.

The girls and I got bored as well and then made our way to mine and Dom's and Roxanne's room.

"Thank Merlin for Easter break!" Dom said as she plopped down on her bed. Starlene sighed in agreement and sat on the floor next to me and Roxanne. Lily climbed on the bed next to Dom, Rose following suit.

"I feel like my head is going to explode." Lily said. "O.W.L year is terrible."

"Just wait till 7th year Lils, you'll want start drinking on a regular basis then." Starlene said. Dom, Starlene, and I all nodded in agreement.

"Was being homeschooled as hard as this?" Dom asked me.

"Kind of, but then again not really. The great thing about being homeschooled was that I choose the hours I studied. I also only had to worry about pleasing my Mom and Dad. They were my only two teachers. At Hogwarts I have to worry about pleasing 7 teachers, plus keep up with extra-curricular activities, and have friends. It's all a bit exhausting." I said with a smile.

"Except the friends part. Because we're a joy to be around, right?" Starlene asked, a slight threatening sound to her voice.

"Oh of course!" I replied exaggeratedly.

"You bint!" Starlene cried with a grin on her face. I smiled impishly back at her.

"What are you lots plans for after school?" Lily asked.

My heart dropped.

I didn't want to talk about this right now. I mean, we had already kinda talked about it when I first got to know them, but now James and I are officially dating and I'm so much closer to them now than I was back then. They probably thought that things had changed by now...and they haven't. Dad had owled me a few days ago saying that I had received a scholarship for Healer's school in Atlanta. It was practically a full ride. They were just waiting on my final grades from Hogwarts.

"I still want to try and become a Healer." Dom said.

"Me too." Starlene added.

"Well, I'd like to work at the Ministry. I'm not a hundred percent sure of which department, I just know that I want to help people keep their rights. Maybe, I'll try for the Wizengamot." Roxanne said.

"Wow Roxanne, high aspirations don't you think?" Dom asked with a smirk.

"What can I say? I may not have my Dad's humor, but I have his determination." Roxanne replied with a fierce smile.

"I think you'll make it." I told her with a smile. She beamed back at me.

"Well, what about you Paislee?" Roxanne asked.

"Er...well, I still plan on being a Healer as well. I'm good at it and I enjoy it." I answered, a bit on the shaky side.

"Why does it sound like there is a 'but' about to spoken?" Starlene asked warily.

"But...I still plan on going back to America..."

The silence was deafening. The girl's eyes were wide with shock and I felt my heart clench violently. I didn't want to hurt them.

"You're still going to leave?" Starlene asked after a few seconds of silence.

I nodded.

"Does James know?" Lily asked.

I shook my head. "And please don't tell him. I'm going to tell him, just...not right now. We just got together and I'd rather not ruin it this soon."

"Paislee...do you have to leave?" Rose asked.

"I'm sorry, but yes. I have to get back home ya know? Plus..." I trailed off.

"Plus what?" Dom asked.

"Well...I kinda got a scholarship to a really good school in Atlanta. It's...well, it's practically a full ride." I said.

"Really? Wow Paislee! That's brilliant!" Dom said, a smile on her face.

"You think?" I asked hesitantly. I didn't want my friends to hurt, to be made at me for leaving. To think that they were excited for me filled me with hope.

"Of course it's brilliant! I mean, we're sad you're still leaving but we want you to succeed! To be happy! But don't think that just because you're going to be in another country means you can just forget about us." Starlene said fiercely.

"Like I could ever forget y'all! You'll just bug the hell outta me until I end up visiting y'all or y'all visiting me!" I said in mock irritation. They laughed.

"We'll always stay in touch. That's never going to change." Rose said with a grin.

"Agreed." Lily replied.

"Thanks guys. It's gonna suck, but I know we'll always be friends." I said with a smile.

At least...I hope so.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHP

The next day we woke up promptly at 8 and ate breakfast. Teddy and Vic had just arrived and soon the house was buzzing with activity. The boys were forced upstairs for their final fittings, while the girls were downstairs for theirs. My Dad, Harry, and Ron still weren't back but had owled us and said they'd be back before dinner today. Victoire was fussing over all of us, trying to make sure everything fit perfectly. My dress still fit quite nicely and I was actually kind of excited about the wedding. It would be really fun to have one final shin-dig with the gang before I left for America. The wedding was scheduled the weekend after graduation. We were all planning on just staying at the Burrow until the wedding and then disapparate to the venue. Dad and I would get a hotel for the night and then leave for America the next morning. Dad had already been told he could have a vacation for that week so he could help me get settled at school.

The fitting was finally over and it was lunch time so we were out back again eating sandwiches when Vic and Teddy came up to me.

"Paislee, we would like to ask you something." Ted told me.

I looked up at him. "Uh...okay. What's up?" I asked.

"Well, we know you're a bit on the shy side." Vic started.

"But we think you're bloody fantastic at singing." Ted continued.

"And we'd love it if you'd sing at our wedding." Vic finished.

Insert jaw drop/sigh/embarrassment/ohpleaseno here.

"A-Are you serious?" I asked.

"Yes we are. You wouldn't have to sing the whole time, just one song would be lovely." Vic said, her eyes shining with hope.

"W-Why do you w-want me to sing?"

"Because you have a truly wonderful talent and I love to hear you sing. It would be so very nice and I know the guests would just love it and love you. You're special Paislee...even if you don't quite realize it yet." Vic told me.

"I don't know..."

"Please? Please Paislee? It would be the greatest gift of all time." Victoire pleaded.

"Oh Paislee it would be truly wonderful!" Dom added.

"C'mon American, you can do it." James said as he kissed my cheek.

"Um...okay...I guess I could." I finally conceded.

"Oh Paislee! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Victoire exclaimed as she hugged me so tight I could barely breathe.

"Vic...can't...breathe." I managed through her choke hold. She giggled and finally released me before beaming at me. I smiled back.

"What do you want me to sing?" I asked.

"Oh I don't care and I don't want to know! I want it to be surprise to both me and Teddy."

Great.

"Okay...I guess I'll start looking for songs then."

"Wonderful! Thanks again Paislee." Vic said as she kissed my cheek. Teddy winked at me and the two of them went to talk to Bill and Fleur.

I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

"You okay?" James asked as he nudged me in the ribs.

"Uh...yeah, I think so. I'm kinda nervous though. And by kinda I mean a lot." I admitted.

"You'll be brilliant." James insisted.

"I think y'all overestimate my abilities."

"I think that's rubbish."

"Well I think you should shut it." I said with a sickly sweet smile. James laughed.

"Well played." He replied with a smile. I smiled back at him and we finished eating. Afterwards we went inside and talked about the final preparations for the wedding. Apparently I was supposed to be singing during the reception. I was trying to find a good song but I kept drawing a blank. I decided to owl Kerianna, Lisa, and Britney, certainly they would know some good songs. No offense to wizard music, but I wanted something more traditional and all about love, not magic. I left the rest of the gang to write my letter. Once I finished I sent Alura to the States. I knew it would take a few weeks before she came back, but I figured I still had about two and a half more months until the wedding anyways.

The day was spent lazily and it was nice to just rest. Finals were coming up and I was up to my ears in homework and essays and studying that I felt like my head was going to explode. I needed to get fantastic grades in order to ensure my full ride to Healer school. I mean, my Dad and I had plenty of gold to pay for it, but I'd rather not have to rely on my Dad's income. My Mom had left me and him a substantial amount of gold, and with him being an Auror we were pretty much set. I didn't want to have to pull from his savings.

After dinner we all went to the field to watch George, Freddie, Bill, and James put on a spectacular firework show. We were right in the middle of it when we heard a loud popping sound.

"Looks like we're missing the party!" My Dad said as he walked towards us.

"Dad!" I yelled and ran to him. I slammed into him, almost making him fall on the floor. Dad laughed and picked me up, spinning me around before finally setting me down.

"How ya doin' kid?" My Dad asked.

"Fine. I miss you though." I told him.

"Awe Paislee, I miss you too honey." My Dad said and pressed a kiss to the top of my forehead.

James, Lily, Al, Hugo, and Rose, all ran to their Dad's as well. After everyone was thoroughly hugged and kissed, the three men joined us on the grassy floor.

"This is spectacular." My Dad said in awe. I nodded and James wrapped his arm around me, then kissed me. I was shocked that he did that right in front of my Dad like that.

"James!" I whispered at him.

"What?" He asked in a normal tone.

"Shh! My Dad is right there! I haven't told him about us yet."

"Well, it's a good thing I owled him days ago then isn't it?" James said with a smirk.

"You what?" I asked in complete surprise.

"I owled you Dad the day before the final Quidditch match, asking his permission to date you." James said. Dad heard us talking because he turned towards us and engaged in the conversation.

"Is that true Dad?" I asked.

"Yes Paislee, it is. James asked me if he could date you. He wanted to ask in person, but couldn't so he asked me through a letter. I was okay with it and told him to go ahead. However, I did warn him that if he hurt you, I'd hurt him. Whether Harry was his father or not." My Dad added with a smile.

James put his hands up in mock surrender. "Don't doubt it for a minute sir."

"Dad...thanks. And James, that's the greatest thing ever. You're so thoughtful." I told him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Yeah well, I try." James said in mock humbleness. I laughed at that and so did my Dad.

Once the firework show was over we went into the living room and had coffee and tea. We sat and chatted idly until Al finally asked the question we were all dying to ask.

"So did you get him Dad?" Al asked.

Harry turned to look at his son, a darkness overcoming his face. "Yeah son...we did."

"Who exactly is Travers? And what happened?" Dom asked.

"Well...Travers was a part of the old regime with Voldemort. He was a big supporter and as far as we can tell wasn't in Voldemort's inner circle, but was just right outside of it. He eluded capture after The Battle at Hogwart's and we've spent many, many years trying to find him." Harry said.

"How did you find him?" Rose asked.

"He was hiding in a small shack right outside London. We caught wind of some Muggle attacks and went to investigate, come to find out Travers was the one doing the attacks. It was a hard battle, but we got him in the end." Ron said.

"Is he dead?" I asked quietly.

"No Paislee, he isn't dead. We want him alive to pay for the crimes he's committed. His trial starts next Monday and then it'll be off to Azkaban with him." My Dad said. I sighed in relief. I didn't like thinking about my Dad killing anyone, even though I knew that he has before.

"Did he hurt any of your friends in the war?" Scorpius asked.

"No he didn't. He ran when the fighting got really tough. Everyone in Voldemort's inner circle has either been killed or is currently in prison." Harry answered.

"Well, everyone except for my Dad and grandparents." Scorpius said, a slight edge to his voice.

"Scor...we've been through this. Your Grandmother saved my life. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for her. I will forever be grateful for that. And while your Dad can be a colossal git at times, he too saved my life. He didn't give me away when he knew full and well who I was at Malfoy Manor." Harry said.

"Besides, when push came to shove, family is what was most important to your grandparents. Draco too...it just took him longer to realize it." Hermione added.

"Yeah, well. It still sucks when everyone at school expects you to be some dark wizard since your Dad was an ex-Death Eater." Scorpius said angrily.

"Scorpius." Rose said gently and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Listen here Scorpius Malfoy. Who your parents are do not dictate who _you _are alright? You are a perfectly wonderful child and we are so very happy you are in our lives. While we had our differences with Draco, he has come a long way. In all honesty he was more forced into being a Death Eater. It wasn't like he really had a choice." Ginny said. This seemed to help brighten Scorpius' spirit a little bit and he smiled at the group of adults.

"Thanks." He said quietly.

The rest of the night was spent reliving old memories and good times. That was until it was time to go to bed and James asked me what my plans for the summer were. The gang and I were all in Freddie and James' room talking before leaving for bed.

"Uh...well after the wedding I'm going to Healer school. I'm not taking the summer off." I told him.

"Oh. I didn't know that. Where are you going? Same place as Dom and Starlene?" James asked.

Uh oh.

"Er...no." I answered.

James looked confused. "Well then, where are you going?"

"To a school in Atlanta. In America." I answered quietly.

James' face morphed from confusion, to hurt, to sad, then back to hurt all in a matter of seconds.

"America huh?" He asked.

"Yeah...I-I got practically a full ride there. It's a really good school too." I added.

"That's...that's great..." James trailed off.

My heart was breaking. This is exactly why I wanted to avoid this conversation with James. I loved him, the last thing in this world that I wanted to do was to hurt him.

"Can you guys give us a minute?" James asked the rest of the crew.

"Of course." Lily said and nodded to the others to leave. Once they were gone, James walked over and sat next to me on his bed.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" James asked.

"I didn't want to hurt you."

"And not telling me until now is gonna hurt less?"

Well played sir.

"Maybe?" I asked hesitantly. James chuckled softly.

"Well you know what this means right?" James asked.

"What?" I asked.

James leaned down and grabbed my chin, kissing me softly on the lips.

"I have two months to convince you otherwise." James said.

"James..." I sighed. I wasn't going to change my mind.

"Paislee..." James mocked.

"Jerk." I said as I swatted his arm playfully.

"Hey."

"Yes?"

"Next time you have some kind of big secret you're too afraid to tell me, just tell me anyways. You're my girlfriend and I want us to be completely honest with one another alright? You can talk to me about anything Paislee. I'll always be on your side." James said.

I smiled at him. "Okay James, I will. And the same goes for me. I'll always be on your side too."

James smiled and kissed me. After a few minutes of kissing I finally descended the stairs and told the boys they could go back up, before making my way to mine and Dom's room and going to bed after discussing things with the girls.

James thought he could convince me otherwise huh?

I thought he was bonkers, but a small part of me really wished that he could. 


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Sorry it's taking me longer to update this story. I have sooooooo much stuff going on, plus I'm writing another OC story in the Criminal Minds Fandom so needless to say I'm a bit busy. I'm still writing this one though and I'll try to update quicker. Don't forget to review! Reviews are like cookies…but better! Well…..maybe not better, but they're still pretty good. =]]**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any Harry Potter characters. Only Paislee. I also do not own The Father Daughter song. Paul Simon owns it. **

Easter break went great and it was really nice to take a break from all of the school work and studying we'd all been doing. We spent the remainder of our break playing Quidditch, looking at some of the prank products Mr. George Weasley was working on, and just hanging out. I spent a lot of time with my Dad and he even suggested a few songs for me to sing at Teddy's and Vic's wedding. I practiced a few with him, having him play his guitar and help me sing a few songs. Of course we eventually grabbed the attention of everyone else and soon they were demanding that my Dad and I both sing.

"Jace, surely you aren't hiding the fact that you have a gorgeous voice just like your daughter does?" Ginny chided. Dad sent her a sheepish look and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I may know a note or two." My Dad replied.

"You two should sing a song!" Dom suggested enthusiastically.

There was a chorus of 'yes you should!' and 'that'd be brilliant!' And of course my Dad doesn't ever get nervous about anything, so he just shrugged and picked up his guitar and looked at me expectantly.

"What? I've already sang for these crazy Brits! Twice!" I cried.

"You know they say 'three times the charms.'" Starlene interjected. I shot her a look which she completely ignored of course.

"What do ya say kid?" My Dad asked.

I looked at him with a slightly incredulous look before giving up and sighing, but then I got an idea that warmed my heart.

"How about the song we wrote when I was ten?"

"You two wrote a song?" Hermione asked.

I nodded. "I was 10, it was about a year before my Mom died and we sung it at the state fair and won first place."

"Well now you have to sing it." Angelina said.

I rolled my eyes and my Dad chuckled before strumming at his guitar, playing the folksy tune I was so used to. He started the song, singing about how all I need to do is remember good times whenever I had a nightmare and promises to stand guard and protect me. The chorus came next and that's where I harmonized with him.

_I'm gonna watch you shine, gonna watch you grow. _

_Gonna paint a sign, so you always know._

_As long as one and one is two, there could never be a father who loves his daughter more than I love you. _

We sang a few more verses about what to do when I grew up and how he'll always be there for me before we ended with the chorus, with him holding the last note. During the entire song my Dad never took his eyes off of me. He was grinning from ear to ear the entire time and I couldn't help but beam back at him. We hadn't sung this song together in quite some time; it felt good to sing with my Dad again. Once the song was finished we both turned back to the audience we had. Harry had his arm around Lily and Ron was holding Rose close to his side, the same with Bill and Dom and George with Roxanne and Starlene.

"That was beautiful." Ginny gushed.

"You two wrote that?" Angelina asked wiping a few stray tears from her eyes.

"Yup. Me and Paislee spent two whole weeks working it out until we got it perfectly." My Dad said as he ruffled my hair affectionately. I rolled my eyes and ran my fingers through it, trying to fix it. My hair was really getting long, I practically didn't even have bangs anymore and I knew I needed to get it cut soon, especially before Vic and Teddy's wedding. The adults gushed some more about the song and we soon moved into the living room for some tea and cookies. Well, the American version of cookies, these Brits called them biscuits. It was our last night so we decided to hang out together as a family.

Family.

These people considered me their family. It was such a new experience for me that I often found myself wanting to slip away as to not intrude, but then I was immediately pulled into the fray of the Weasley/Potter household as if I had been here my entire life. I don't have any siblings and I was never one to fit in except with three other people my age so I didn't exactly have great social skills. I was learning though. And the Weasley/Potter clan were great teachers.

We awoke early the next day to catch the train back to Hogwarts. My Dad got a bit misty eyed as he told me bye and I could barely hold my own tears. Each time I visited it seemed even harder to leave. University was going to be torture now that we were going to be continents apart, but I guess that's part of growing up. It sucks. We had the weekend to recuperate and it was much needed after our fun filled week at the Burrow. The Professors, however, gave us no such break once classes resumed. We were immediately bombarded by practice exams, lab practicals, and homework up the whazoo! Even Teddy wasn't giving us a break. On top of all that, I had to go to Disapparation classes with all the 6th years. I stuck close to Al, Scorpius, and Rose; the four of us always ensuring our hoops were right next to ours. I got a few teasing words thrown at me by my friends and other acquaintances, but I just scowled at them or snorted in laughter because in all honesty some of the these they said were pretty funny, even if it was at my expense. The test came quickly and we all passed with flying colors and I couldn't wait to try it out actually outside of school. Out of all things magical, this was one of the coolest. Don't get me wrong, I love spell work, but there's something really amazing about being able to transport from one place to another. I couldn't wait to be able to show it off to Kerianna, Brittney, and Lisa.

James and I didn't get a lot of time together alone, but we knew that was going to happen. So we stole as many alone moments as we possibly could. There were nights where I would have Lily give me the cloak so I could sneak up to James' room and convince him to take a midnight stroll with me. He brought out the adventurous side in me. Other times I'd be walking back up to the Common Room by myself minding my own business until suddenly an arm grabbed my elbow, pulling me into a broom closet and James' lips would be crushing into mine. Those moments were some of my favorites, but nothing beat being at the Lake together at night; the moon and stars shining so brightly, James' arms wrapped around me as he whispered old poems to me. James loved to read. He would never really admit it to anyone, but he loves Shakespeare and often I'll find notes in my books or in my bag from James that had Shakespearean sonnets written on them. I lived for these moments.

We had been back for about a month and June was creeping upon us quickly; so was my birthday. The day before my birthday was the last Hogsmeade weekend and James and I were going to go on our date then. I had purchased a nice spring dress while at the Burrow and the girls promised to help me get ready.

I was nervous as hell.

James and I had spent a lot of alone time together in the past few months, but we had never been outside of the comfort of Hogwarts or the Burrow, and I was a bit on the terrified side. I didn't exactly have what normal people called the social graces. I was clumsy, shy, awkward, and extremely sarcastic. James knew this of course, but he never had to really deal with me in a too public kind of situation. What if I embarrassed him? What if he didn't want to be with me after this because I fall out of my chair or something? What if I end up spilling hot soup on him and burn him so bad he never wants to be with me again?!

Ahem.

I may be overreacting here a little bit.

Starlene and Dom were working on my makeup while Roxanne and Lily did my hair and Rose was piecing together my outfit.

"I'm so excited for you!" Starlene squealed.

"It's not that big of a deal Starlene." I said with a sigh.

"It's yours and James' first official date. This is a huge deal." Starlene insisted.

"Aren't you nervous?" Rose asked.

"No." I lied.

"Liar." Lily commented. I shot her a look and she gave me one right back.

"Fine! Yes I'm nervous, I'm nervous as hell. I'm going to say and do all the wrong things, I just know it."

"No you won't." Roxanne said.

"Yes I will." I insisted and Lily pulled on my hair sharply.

"Ow! What the heck Lily?" I cried.

"Sorry, my hand must've slipped. I have this slight allergic reaction whenever I hear a load of rubbish." She told me.

"Lily's right. This is going to be perfect and then tomorrow is your birthday and we'll have a nice little party here and then in three weeks we have finals and then we'll graduate!" Starlene said excitedly.

I smiled kindly at them, knowing they were dodging the whole University subject. I knew they didn't want to think about me leaving. In all honesty I didn't really wanna think about myself leaving, it made me sad to think I wouldn't constantly be surrounded by these crazy Brits anymore. It made me even sadder to think of having to leave James. He might be the only boy I've ever really dated, besides Braeden of course, but we truly have something special. He makes me a better person, makes me try new things and makes me feel as if I'm the most important person in the world.

I love him.

I was pulled from my musings as the girls said I was done. I looked in the mirror and smiled widely at all of my friends. They knew me so well. My hair was curled and hung past my shoulders in thick wavy curls. My makeup was minimal and very natural looking with a light brown eye shadow accented with black eyeliner and a bit of mascara. The dress I was wearing was Aquamarine in color and strapless, which brought out the blue in my eyes. Rose paired it with white sandals that had a slight heel to it.

"Oh Paislee! You look so beautiful!" Rose said.

"If my git of a brother doesn't drool at the sight of you I'll have Dad disinherit him." Lily said.

"He better not drool, these are new shoes." I said in mock arrogance."

The girls all laughed at that.

"Well, better not keep him waiting. We'll be here when you get back, ready to hear every detail!" Starlene said enthusiastically.

"Well, not _every _detail. I do not want the snogging chronicles of my older brother, or any other intimate details that may happen." Lily said.

I blushed furiously before crying out in outrage. "Lily!"

"What? If you and my brother are going to be snogging and doing other things, I don't want to hear about the more intimate details!"

I covered my face with my hands. "I'm gonna kill you Lils."

She simply laughed at me and all but pushed me out of the dorm. I walked down to the Common Room and saw James.

He grinned when he saw me.

"Wow." He said when I reached him.

"Wow what?" I asked.

"Wow you. You…look amazingly beautiful Paislee."

I blushed. "Thank you."

James cupped my cheek and kissed me softly on the lips. "You ready for your birthday surprise?"

I looked at him with confusion written in my expression. "My birthday is tomorrow."

James winked at me. "I know, but we're celebrating by ourselves, just the two of us, today."

"Really?"

"Really. You're going to have a huge shindig tomorrow and I won't be able to steal you away for more than a few minutes at a time so I thought that you and I would celebrate it today; just the two of us."

"That sounds wonderful." I told him with a smile. James offered me his arm and I took it as we followed the throng of students flowing out to the carriages to be taken to Hogsmeade.

James and I got a carriage all to ourselves and soon we were entering the small village. James helped me out of our carriage and soon we were walking up and down the streets, taking in all of the sights. James told me a few stories of the history of Hogsmeade as we grabbed an ice-cream cone. We eventually made our way to the Three Broomsticks where we ordered a butterbeer for each of us. We got a table in the corner for some privacy.

"I'm so glad you're not like other birds." James said to me.

"What do ya mean?" I asked.

"Just that, most girls would expect a first date to be at Madam Puddifoot's and I'm pretty sure I would rather listen to Granddad Weasley talk about telephones for an hour then go there." James said with a grimace.

I laughed at that. "Well, I'm glad you're not like other guys and try to take me there without asking if that's what I wanted. I would rather give Starlene full access to dress me for a month than go there."

James barked out a laugh. We made small conversation, stealing a kiss here and there which was new for me. I had never kissed James in a public place like this before. I knew I was blushing furiously and I could feel James smile against my lips.

"You ready to get out of here?" He asked. I nodded as he took my hand and we walked back out into the streets. James led me to a small park with a creek running through it.

It was beautiful.

There was a small bench next to the creek underneath this huge pink blossom tree. Pink petals littered the floor around the bench and they were so fragrant I could smell them before we even sat down. James wrapped an arm around my shoulder and I rested my head against him. We sat there in silence for a few minutes before James removed his arm from my shoulders and started digging through his pockets. He pulled out a small box that had a red and gold bow on top of it.

"I know it's not your birthday yet, but I wanted to give you your gift privately." James said as he held the box out for me to grab.

I beamed at him. "Can I open it now?"

James laughed. "Of course you silly girl. Open it now!"

I tore at the packaging and slowly opened the black felt box underneath. I gasped when I saw the most exquisite bracelet with a diamond lined heart hanging from it.

"James! It's beautiful!" I whispered. I took it out of the box and examined it more closely. On the back of the heart charm James had our initials carved into it. 'J.P. & P.H.'

"Do you like it?" He asked.

I looked at him, my eyes brimming with tears. "I love it."

James smiled and helped me put the bracelet on. It fit perfectly and I was so happy I felt like I was going to burst.

"This is the best birthday present ever." I told him as I kissed him. James smiled back at me and cupped my face.

"I have something to tell you." He said to me.

"What's that?" I asked, never taking my eyes off of him. He smiled at me before running a hand through his hair and then bringing it back down to my face.

"I can't imagine my life without you Paislee. You have become such an important part of my life…such an important part of _me_. When I first met you on the train last September, you practically took my breath away. I remembered thinking 'Oh for the love of Merlin, I'm a total goner.' You were so beautiful and you didn't even know it. I couldn't get enough of your eyes, even though you were scowling most of the time, the blueness of your eyes held me captive and I couldn't look away." James told me.

I felt myself blush and he chuckled as he continued. "And then you started talking and I was mesmerized with your accent and not soon after you blushed and I wanted to make you blush as much as possible."

"Well you do a great job at that." I told him with a laugh.

"It didn't stop there of course, because soon after that I heard you laugh and that sound was so wonderful that making you blush wasn't enough, I had to make you laugh. And so of course I flirted shamelessly with you, made a complete git of myself; but I didn't care. You were laughing and it was wonderful. And then of course I find out your hopelessly ticklish and it's much easier to get you to laugh that way than to make a git of myself." James said with a smirk.

"Prat." I said and of course he laughed at my use of the British term.

"Months went by and I was with Kaelynn and every moment I was with her had me wishing I was with you. And when we kissed…oh Merlin…that was the greatest night of my life. It was brief, but it was enough. Enough to know that I never wanted to kiss anyone else ever again."

"James…" I blushed furiously again.

"What I'm trying to say is…I love you Paislee."

My heart stopped beating. The world stopped spinning. And the only people in the world at that exact moment were us. I felt tears gathering in my eyes and I couldn't help but let a few fall. James wiped them away with his thumb.

"James, I love you too. So much so that it scares me sometimes. I've never felt like this before and it's so wonderful that I never want it stop no matter how scary it is." I told him.

James' grin grew and soon his lips were crashing against mine as we gripped each other tightly, trying to get closer to one another even though there was no way we could. I was so happy and I couldn't imagine feeling happier. James had just told me that he loved me. He _loved_ me. And now he knew that I loved him as well. There were still so many uncertainties that we had yet to meet, but I knew we would tackle them…together.

"You mean everything to me Paislee." James whispered against my lips.

"Ditto."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Thanks for reading guys! I appreciate all the follows, favs, and reviews! Please review some more! They leave me warm and fuzzies and I'm super addicted to warm and fuzzies. =]]**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Harry Potter. I only own Paislee. **

Mine and James' date was beautiful. I was pampered like a Princess and James was the perfect gentleman. After he had given me the bracelet we made our way back to the carriages to take us back to Hogwarts. We didn't go inside immediately; instead, we decided to take a stroll around the Black Lake. I kicked off my heels and enjoyed the beautiful weather next to my handsome boyfriend. It was still weird thinking of James as my boyfriend. Not that it was strange that we were together, just that boyfriend seemed like such a loose term for what we have. James and I were pretty intense about one another; neither of us feeling truly whole without the other. I know I'm only 16, er...17 now I guess, but I know what James and I have is real. What we have isn't something found in the movies. He's not some boy that has all the right answers, that never gets angry, that only whispers sweet nothings in my ear. No. James is the kind of boy that tells me he has no idea but he'll support me no matter what. James is the kind of boy that irritates the hell out of me when he decides to do some pig headed thing and instead of backing down the moment I throw a fit, he stands his ground, tries to explain his reasoning instead of just letting me have my way. It's irritating and amazing at the same time. I don't want someone who is gonna do whatever it is I tell him to do, I want someone who stands up for what he believes in, so that I know he'll stand up for me. James has no problem telling me I'm being stupid when the time calls for it; he's honest. James has always been honest with me. Whenever we get into an argument, he rakes an angry hand through his hair before pushing me against a wall and kissing me until the anger leaves us both. Whenever we're doing homework together he'll leave a hand on my knee, or his foot will be touching mine, just...touching me in some way; letting me know that he's right there next to me. All these things, these supposedly small things, let me know that what James and I have is real. And I wouldn't trade it for all the gold in the world.

I was thinking about all of these things as I lay in my bed with my eyes still closed the morning of my birthday; James' and my date still fresh and powerful in my mind. I sighed contentedly, thankful for all the good things in my life; James, my Dad, my friends, Hogwarts. I was truly blessed.

And then they attacked.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAISLEE!" A chorus of high pitched shrieking said right in my ear. A second later the shrieking bunch jumped on top of me.

"Oof!" Was my only reply as the weight of five girls took my breath away.

"Time to wake up Paislee! Your birthday bash begins now!" Starlene sang.

"Ugh...some people like to sleep in on their birthday." I replied.

"Well some people have an entire day planned out for them and should be more thankful for such wonderful friends like us!" An amused Dom told me.

"Well some people think that since it's their birthday that they should be able to decide what they do on their birthday." I retorted.

"Well some people don't really have a choice in the matter and should quit their whinging." Lily quipped.

"Well some people are 17 now and are of age and can make grown up decisions now."

"Well some people must've forgotten that others know their greatest weakness." Rose said deviously.

I had just enough time for a strangled 'No!' before the tickling began.

Did I say I was blessed with such great friends? I meant cursed.

"N-No! P-Plehehehehease! Stop!" I begged as Starlene and Dom tagged team my ribs as Lily and Rose got my knees and Roxanne spidered my neck. I was getting it from all sides and I couldn't do a thing about it.

"Birthday tickle!" Starlene cried, attacking with renewed vigor.

"NO! I'm-I'm up! I swehehehehear!" I shouted through my laughter. They eventually took pity on me, after another few minutes of tickle torture. I was left panting and still giggling as they forced me to my feet, pushing me towards the bathroom to change and get ready. The gang had picked my clothes for me and I had to admit the outfit was pretty adorable; jean capris with a red spaghetti strap top with white polka dots. The top was ruffled at the top and had a matching white belt that wrapped around my middle. I paired it with red flip flops and my new bracelet. I even did something with my hair. I put it in a half up-half down type of style, with curly tendrils falling around my face. Dom and Starlene insisted that I put on make up so I dabbed on some foundation, wiped some lipstick and eyeliner on and followed the girls to the Great Hall.

Once we arrived at our table a burst of confetti and mini-fireworks exploded and the Gryffindor table erupted into a loud chorus of 'Happy Birthday.' My face was a fiery shade of red as James pecked me on the cheek.

"Happy birthday American." Freddie said slyly.

"Did we need all the theatrics?" I groaned, trying to hide my red face.

"Doth mine ears deceive me?" Freddie asked, exaggerating his already thick British accent.

"Now you've done it." Al said with a roll of his eyes.

"I fear your ears doth not deceive you." James replied in the same exaggerated accent.

"Why doth she hate our present dear cousin?" Freddie asked, clutching his chest.

"I know not cousin. I twas assured she would love it." James replied, clutching his chest as well.

"Control thine woman good sir! She must learn to watch her tongue!" Freddie cried, standing in his seat and pointing at me while looking at James.

James jumped on his seat. "I have tried for many moons to control that tongue dear cousin! You doth not understand the powers this witch holds! She uses her beauty and her charming American accent against me!"

I turned even redder. "I'm going to kill both of you."

"Resist her spell cousin! She shall surely kill you with her unknown powers adorableness!" Freddie yelled.

"How doth thou knowest of this?" James demanded.

"Oh my dear cousin...I too have fallen under a witches spell...I have no chance of ever being released from her powers." Freddie replied in mock sadness.

"Damn right he has." Starlene said from her seat, eating oatmeal and smiling at Freddie. He threw her wink before going back to his woeful look.

"NO! Oh dear cousin tell me it's not true!" James cried.

"I'm sorry good sir...tis true...tis...so...true..." Freddie said in a 'I'm dying' kind of voice. He twisted on top of his chair and pretended to faint. James held out his arms and caught his 'dead' cousin, pretending to weep bitterly.

"He twas so young!" James wailed.

"Are you finished now?" I asked him. We had caught the attention of everyone in the Great Hall and of course Freddie and James immediately stood up and bowed as the Gryffindor table erupted into applause. James sat back next to me and grinned.

"Ready for your party tonight?" Al asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm kinda afraid in all honesty." I replied.

"You should be." Hugo said with a sly smile.

"Hugo, you'd tell me if they went overboard wouldn't you?" I begged.

Hugo simply grinned, waved, and then walked away as he saw his girlfriend Annabeth.

"You don't trust us?" Scorpius asked with a pout.

"Not as far as I could throw you." I replied.

The gang laughed of course.

"Well, it's gonna be great, don't you worry. One last shindig before finals!" Starlene said. I smiled and allowed them to drag me across Hogwarts for the remainder of the day. We stopped by Teddy's office and hung out with him for about two hours. Teddy even got me a gift; a Muggle book collection called _The Mortal Instruments. _I couldn't wait to start reading them. We stopped by Neville's office next and he too got me a gift; a book on Herbology with an emphasis in healing herbs. I thanked him before we left for a small game of Quidditch. After that we had a picnic at the Black Lake and then it was time for my party. The gang had really outdone themselves. The common room was decorated in like a spring garden; flowers were everywhere! Petals were continuously falling from the ceiling. There was an array of food and drinks on several different tables as well as a table piled high with gifts.

It was perfect.

The night was spent with dancing, laughter, and cheesy games like truth or dare. Freddie and James were constantly trying to out-dare one another and we had to stop them from skinny dipping in the Black Lake. We played Twister next, something I insisted on, and ended the night with a rousing game of Exploding Snap. It was nearly 2 in the morning by the time the last of the party goers left. Scorpius and Al had left for bed, Lily and Rose and Roxanne following shortly. Dom and Starlene cleaned up a bit before claiming to be too exhausted themselves and leaving for the dorm. Freddie insisted on staying up with James and helping us clean when James told him to go ahead and go to bed. He just wanted an excuse for some alone time I think. I wanted alone time as well, but I was exhausted and collapsed onto the couch, James sitting next to me.

"Did you have fun?" He asked.

I nodded sleepily and closed my eyes.

"Good." He replied, touching my face. "Your happiness is all that matters."

"Suck up." I murmured, smiling softly.

"Oi. I am no suck up. You should go to bed."

"M'not tired."

"Liar. You're exhausted."

"We haven't b'n 'lone all day..." I muttered sleepily.

James chuckled. "It's fine Paislee. You need sleep. Besides, we have plenty of time to spend with one another."

"M'fine."

James sighed and picked me up. I yelped as he poked me in the side and walked me to the stairs. He set me down and cupped my face before bringing his lips to mine and kissing me deeply. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me. After a few seconds James grinned and pulled back.

"I'm awake now." I complained.

James barked a laugh. "Go to bed before you kill me with your American charms."

I scowled at him before kissing him softly on the lips one more time and making my way to my dorm.

OoOoOoO

The next two weeks were spent studying for finals. Every waking moment I had my nose stuck in a book. Even James and Freddie were studying more often than they normally did. All the professors were emphasizing final points, shoving fact after fact and spell after spell down our throats. DADA, Charms, and Potions were especially hard since practicals were associated with almost everything we did. There were only two classes I wasn't worried about; Muggle Studies and Herbology. Muggle Studies didn't have a practical and Herbology came naturally to me.

And as if finals weren't enough to stress me out, James had been leaving not so subtle hints about getting me to stay. I kept finding Healer school pamphlets in my books and notes, all the schools of course were in England. He even went as far as telling Neville about how I was looking for a Healer school. Professor Longbottom had me stay after class one day for almost an hour as he talked about various schools he would recommend. I knew James had good intentions, but I wasn't going to change my mind. My grandparents were begging to see me and couldn't wait to have me closer to home. I couldn't disappoint them. They helped me and Dad so many times I can't even count. I wasn't the only one who lost someone when my Mom died; they lost their only daughter, their only child actually. They needed me much more than James or my friends. I couldn't be selfish and stay. Plus, I was itching to get back home anyways. I missed America. I missed my other friends too.

Freddie, Al, Starlene, Dom and I were in the library studying when I found another stupid pamphlet in my Herbology book.

"I'm going to kill James Sirius Potter." I muttered angrily, crumpling up the pamphlet and tossing it angrily into a nearby trash can.

"What's got your wand in a knot?" Starlene asked, eyeing me warily.

"James left _another_ pamphlet in my book. Does he not realize how hard he's making it on me?" I asked.

"Well, look at it from his point of view Paislee. He's about to lose his girlfriend." Freddie told me.

"I'm losing a boyfriend!" I argued.

"Look, Paislee, you know how hard this is on you. It's just as hard on him! James isn't used to feeling helpless. Plus, he really loves you." Freddie said.

I blushed slightly. "I love him too. More than anyone in this world, but...I've been here too long. I miss my home, my other family."

"And James knows that. It's just..." Al trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"It's hard. For all of us." Starlene said sadly. I looked at her and wanted to burst into tears. I was so concentrated on my own pain, that I hadn't really thought about my friends pain, or James' for that matter.

I groaned at hit my head on the table.

"Why is everything so bloody complicated?" I groaned.

"Did she just say bloody?" Freddie asked.

"I believe she did mate." Al replied.

"Maybe she really has been here too long..."

We all laughed at that. We finished studying at made our way back to the common room. James was lounging on the couch, reading a Potions book. Freddie, Al, and Starlene bid me goodbye as I made my way over to the couch. I sat down on the floor next to him. He looked at me and smiled.

"I hate studying." He said.

"I'm sorry." I told him.

He laughed. "S'not your fault."

"No, that's now what I'm sorry about." I said seriously.

James frowned. "Why are you sorry?"

I took a breath and released it before looking in James' eyes. I cupped his face between my hands. "I haven't been very sympathetic to how you're feeling, about me leaving." James opened his mouth to speak but I pressed a finger to his lips. "Let me finish. I've found all the pamphlets James, and I appreciate the thought I really do, but...I'm not gonna change my mind. I need to be closer to my family. I realize it will be hard on you, I do, because it's going to be just as hard on me. I love you James, and these past few months have been like a dream. You mean so much to me. I can't even begin to explain what you mean to me. What we have is something special, something some people never get to experience. I don't want that to ever go away. It'll be hard at first, but I don't want to give up what we have just because we're far away from one another."

James looked at me, his expression full of sadness. "I don't want you to leave." He told me.

My eyes filled with tears. "I don't want to leave you."

"Then stay."

"James...please...please try to understand." I whispered.

James brought his forehead to mine and brushed his lips against mine. "I"m trying." He whispered back.

"We don't have to figure out everything right now." I told him.

"I know." He said. He kissed me again before saying he needed to go to his dorm for something. I sighed, knowing that I hadn't solved anything like I wanted to. I didn't have time to think much more about it though because soon I was studying like crazy again since finals started tomorrow.

OoOoOoO

My first final was Herbology. The test went rather well, and I believe I passed with flying colors. The written portion of Charms and Potions were next, each of which I felt as if I did pretty well too. Practicals for Charms went flawlessly and I even saw Professor Flitwick give me a thumbs up as I left. Potions didn't go as well as Charms did. My draught of Eternal Sadness wasn't a deep dark gray, but more of a light gray. I knew I would get marks taken off for that. The day ended with Muggle Studies and of course it took less than twenty minutes for me to finish the test. It was almost too easy. By the time we all met back in the common room after our tests we were all too exhausted to do anything but sleep. We had to be awake super early the next day for DADA, Transfiguration, and History of Magic. I really wanted another opportunity to talk to James, but I never got the chance. He just kissed my cheek before following Freddie up to his dorm.

History of Magic was first, which was great because it was the most boring test I have ever taken. I almost fell asleep halfway through it. Professor Binns napped the entire time and I felt cheated. The stupid jerk got to sleep during the test, why couldn't I? Transfiguration was next, the written portion that is, and I knew I did well. DADA came after that, the written portion as well. I was fiercely motivated to pass this test to make Teddy proud. After the written portions we broke for lunch. I collapsed in a chair next to James.

"Rough day?" He asked in an amused voice.

"Ugh..." I replied. James laughed as he rubbed my back soothingly.

"Only two left Paislee...we can make it." Starlene told me, trying to sound bright but losing it to the exhaustion in her voice.

"Thank Merlin this is it." I replied.

"How have you lot done then?" Al asked.

"Fine." James and Freddie replied at the same time.

"Sure..." Al said in disbelief.

"Oi! We're smart!" Freddie cried.

"Yeah!" James added.

I laughed as Dom spoke. "I think I did fine in everything but the Potions practical. That one kicked my arse."

I groaned. "Ugh. I'm with you on that Dom. It was not easy."

"Well, DADA will be a breeze." James said confidently.

"I hope so. I really wanna make Teddy proud." I said.

"You will." James said, pecking my cheek.

We finished lunch and trudged back up the stairs to Transfiguration for the practical. Professor McGonagall had us transfigure cats into cash boxes, iguanas into ice packs, and a plethora of other animals and gadgets. I had a bit of trouble with the iguanas but Professor McGonagall grinned widely at me as I left which made me feel so very happy. DADA was next and I flourished with each spell and counter spell Teddy asked of me. One of the examiners was impressed with my healing spell and asked me to preform it again. I did and smiled brightly at him. I left, feeling so light and free that I went outside to the Black Lake and lay down in the welcoming grass, waiting for the others to finish.

I finished. I was done.

I had completed my magical education.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: My sincerest apologies for not updating this faster! I really have no excuse except for laziness and a lack of wanting this story to end! I've been working on it for so long and there's only a few chapters left and I'm actually quite sad! So I made this chapter EXTRA long to make up for my horribleness! By the way, I actually cried a bit writing this. Just warning y'all! As always, please leave me some lovely reviews as they make me happy! =]]**

**Disclaimer: I only own Paislee. No one else. **

"Paislee, stop fidgeting!" Starlene scolded me for the 1223558th time. I couldn't help it. When I'm nervous, I fidget!

We were sitting in the front row of the Great Hall, getting ready to graduate. That's right. Graduate. _Graduate!_ I had been waiting for this day for years and it was finally here! Starlene was sitting directly behind me while the rest of the gang were a few rows further down. If I turned my head all the way and Starlene ducked I could see James. We snuck glances at one another as much as possible while Professor McGonagall chatted on about how proud she was and all the endless possibilities that were now before us.

He looked so handsome. His normally messy hair was slicked back a bit, making his hazel eyes more noticeable. We were all wearing black robes with graduation hats, except these hats didn't look like the ones American schools use, these were witches and wizards hats; pointy tips with Hogwarts crest emblazoned on them. Even with the ridiculous looking hats, James was the most gorgeous boy in the whole place.

Our families were here too. My Dad and the Weasley/Potter clan all snagged seats up front. When we walked in my Dad cheered and got me to turn and smile so he could sneak a picture. I waved to the rest of the clan and they cheered as well; the cheering getting louder when James, Freddie, Starlene, Dom and Roxanne all passed by as well. Everyone was super excited.

We would have to wait a few weeks to get the detailed results of our exams, but we got our letter grades and I passed with all Outstanding's! I was shocked to see that on Potions, I was sure I was going to get an Exceed Expectations! This ensured my scholarship at Atlanta's Healing School for the Magically Gifted. I had Owled Dad immediately and he was so proud. He told me he was going to get me a new broom for doing so well. We were going to go shopping for it right after graduation. Speaking of which, Professor McGonagall was starting to call out names.

There were a lot of students graduating and I felt my heart continuously beating faster the closer she got to my name. I started fidgeting even more and Starlene smacked the back of my head. I barely concealed the yelp as I turned and scowled at her. She of course just scowled right back and then-

"Ms. Paislee Hayes!" Professor McGonagall called.

I looked up and heard my Dad and the Weasley's and the Potter's immediately start cheering. I got to my feet and made my way to the makeshift stage they had created. I kept chanting 'don't fall, don't fall, don't fall' in my head. I was terrified to that I was going to make a complete fool of myself. I heard my friends cheering as well. I looked back towards the crowd and saw James standing as he applauded loudly. I grinned at him and he threw me wink, making my heart flutter.

"Congratulations Ms. Hayes." McGonagall said to me. I beamed at her and grabbed my diploma from her. "I expect great things to come from you."

"Thank you professor." I replied. I shook her hand and then made my way back to my seat. My Dad had me stop once and smile for him again, taking a picture, and then I sat down.

Soon Starlene's name was called and we cheered, following James to which I whistled and stood for him as he did me, and then Dom, Freddie, and finally Roxanne. Professor McGonagall instructed us all to stand.

"And now I would like to present to you the Graduates of 2021!" She announced. We all started shouting and threw our hats into the air. I turned to look at Starlene and she enveloped me in a hug. We fought our way through the crowd and found James. He beamed at me and I ran to him, throwing my arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around me.

"We did it!" I whispered in his ear.

"We sure did." He replied. He grabbed my shoulders, easing me back so he could kiss me. I stood on my tip toes and leaned into the kiss. It was short, unfortunately, but it was sweet and caring. Soon though, we were being dragged into a huge group hug with Roxanne, Freddie, Dom, and Starlene.

"I can't believe we're done!" Dom said, tears swimming in her eyes.

"It all happened so fast didn't it?" Roxanne asked, swiping at a fear tears of her own.

"Dunno know why you birds are so upset, I'm bloody ecstatic about finally being done! Now the fun can really start!" Freddie said.

"Aren't you going to miss Hogwarts though?" Starlene asked.

Freddie looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess...this place has been a right laugh these last few years."

James threw an arm over Freddie's shoulder and sighed. "Gotta admit it mate, this place kinda grew on us."

Freddie sighed dramatically. "How shall they ever survive without us?"

"Dunno. I'm sure we'll be receiving owls shortly about how much the miss us. Maybe McGonagall will offer us jobs as professors of hilarity." James answered.

I snorted. "Yeah, she'll offer y'all jobs and I'll be the next Queen of England."

Dom, Starlene and Roxanne laughed while Freddie and James gasped in mock offense. They didn't have time for their normally witty retort though because our families had finally made their way to us and we were all enveloped in hugs and pats. My Dad grabbed me and pulled me into a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed him back.

"I am so proud of you kid." He told me.

"Thanks Dad."

"Your Mother would be proud of you as well."

I felt my heart clench. I wish so much that my Mom could be here and see me complete my magical training, to just be here with me and my Dad and share in this moment. Tears stung at the corners of my eyes and I quickly blinked them away.

"I know." I whispered to my Dad. He looked down at me, grinning so widely, his eyes sparkling with pride.

"Paislee!" I heard Ginny shout. Dad laughed and released me as I was passed around from one adult to the next. Dad shook James' hand and congratulated him and the younger of our group made their way towards us as well. Al, Scorpius, and Rose would be the next ones to graduate; Hugo and Lily following the year after that.

"I am so proud of you lot!" Grandma Weasley said, mopping her eyes. "I just can't believe you are all adults now. About to leave and do things on your own."

James laughed. "We're not quite gone yet Gram! We've still got Teddy and Vic's wedding and then a month of a break before Auror training and other schooling starts!"

Grandma Weasley nodded clumsily, still mopping at her eyes. "You're right, you're right. I just still see my tiny grand babies whenever I look at you. Oh, I'm going to make a mess of myself if I keep this up. Come on you lot, I've got a grand dinner prepared back at the Burrow. Take one last tour and then meet us outside."

The adults hugged us once more and left us to say our goodbye's to everyone else. Freddie and James met with a few other Gryffindor's, Starlene and Dom and Roxanne doing the same. I hadn't ever really hung out with anyone except for them, but I did want to congratulate Braeden. I stood on my tip toes, trying to find him when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and there stood Braeden.

"Braeden! Congrats!" I told him, smiling widely.

Braeden smiled back at me and tipped his head. "Congrats to you as well Paislee."

"What are your plans?" I asked.

"Well, I start that internship at the Ministry in two weeks. Hopefully that'll lead to a full time position."

"I'm sure it will. You're a great wizard and a great person. They'll be stupid not to pick you." I told him.

Braeden chuckled. "You have a lot of faith in me."

"Of course I do. You've more than proved it."

"Well thank you." Braeden said. "Do you think your boyfriend would get terribly upset with me if I asked for a goodbye hug?"

"I dunno Braeden; he's not much of a hugger you might have better luck with Freddie." I replied in mock wonder.

Braeden laughed. "Oh you prat, I meant a hug from you!"

"Ohhhhh, well why didn't you say so?" I asked with a 'cheeky' grin. He rolled his eyes and pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back and pulled away after a moment.

"Take care of yourself alright?" I told him.

He nodded. "You too. And write to me. I'd love to know how you're doing."

"I will, and you too."

"Goodbye Paislee."

"Bye Braeden."

OoOoOoO

We were now at the Burrow, our bellies full of a delicious pasta dinner made by Grandma Weasley. Teddy and Vic were here and the rehearsal dinner was next Friday and then the day after that was their wedding. They were planning on staying at the Burrow the entire time, wanting to be with family as much as possible before they started their own. I had finally picked out a song for the wedding, but I was keeping it a secret from everyone. I was currently practicing it upstairs, using _Muffliato_ so that no one could hear. Normally I don't play piano very often; it was something that was special to me and my Mom. She would play and I would sing, then I would play and she would sing, and of course we would both play and sing together. She would be on the lower side, while I was on the higher note side; our fingers making their way across the keys as we grinned and sang at the top of our lungs.

I missed her. I missed her so terribly and playing the piano made me miss her even more.

My fingers made their way across the keys effortlessly, as easy as breathing. I lost myself in the music. I had my eyes closed as I allowed the music to fill me. The words were beautiful, promises of forever. Suddenly, I felt tears running down my face. The ache of missing my mother, the changes that were about to happen in my life, and actually playing piano for the first time in years just overwhelmed me. My voice stayed clear though and my fingers continued their path up and down the piano. The crescendo in the song arrived and I found myself pounding away at the keys, pouring my emotion into the music until finally, the song grew softer and my hands lighter on the keys.

"That was beautiful." A voice said from the door. I looked up and saw James leaning against the doorframe. I wiped my face and motioned for him to sit next to me. He obeyed. I looked at him once more and smiled softly as I once again lifted my hands and started playing.

I played my Mother's lullaby, the first song I had sung for the Potter's and Weasley's, truly feeling safe and sound like the song promised. James never took his eyes off me. I kept sneaking glances at him and he was constantly looking at me. I finished the song and looked at him once more.

"I didn't know you could play." He told me.

"I haven't for a very long time." I responded.

"Why not? You're brilliant!"

I smiled. "Well thank you."

"Are you going to play that first song for Teddy and Vic?" He asked.

I nodded. "My Mother and I used to play together. It was something special that was just for the two of us."

James frowned. "It must be hard for you to play without her."

"It is." I said. "It's why I don't play anymore. This is the first time in years I've even touched a piano."

"Well I'm honored you played for me."

I smiled and then nudged his shoulder with mine. "You weren't supposed to be listening ya big sneak."

James grinned at me. "I couldn't help myself. I saw you leave after dinner and I checked every single room until I found you in this one. There wasn't any noise so I almost skipped it."

"_Muffliato_ spell." I told him.

"Ah, that would explain the no noise thing."

I laughed.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and I leaned my head against him. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head and we stayed like that for a while. Neither of us saying a word; just enjoying one another's company.

"I love you." James finally said.

"I love you too." I told him.

OoOoOoO

The following week was filled with fun and laughter. We played Quidditch game after Quidditch game, lit off countless fireworks, went to Diagon Alley and shopped a bit, and stole as many moments as I possibly could with James. It was hard to get alone time with so many people in the house, but there were times where we went outside at night and looked at the stars. He'd steal a kiss now and then when no one was looking and I would blush as he would laugh. The day after Vic's and Teddy's wedding was when I was leaving. James absolutely refused to talk about, convinced that if he didn't mention it then it wouldn't happen. I didn't bring it up either though; I couldn't bear to hurt him anymore than I already was.

It was the morning of the wedding now. The rehearsal dinner had gone splendidly and Starlene and Scorpius had arrived a few hours before hand. We were all up super early, it was barely 6am but Dom was wide awake.

"I can't believe my sister is getting married." Dom told me.

"I'm sure it'll be different without her home." I replied.

"It will. I'm gonna miss her." Dom said.

The door opened, and soon we were joined by Lily, Rose, Roxanne, and Starlene.

"We figured you two would be awake." Starlene said with a grin as she jumped on my bed.

"Great minds must think alike." I told her.

"So, anyone nervous about standing in front of a bunch of wizards and witches we've never met?" Lily asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Well now I am!"

The girls laughed.

"Don't worry Paislee you'll do just fine. Just follow us!" Roxanne said.

"I'm gonna fall flat on my face!" I cried, lying back and covering my face with a pillow.

"Oh hush you prat." Rose said. "You're going to be gorgeous, you're going to sing gorgeously, and everything will be just fine."

"Aw man! I forgot I also had to sing!" I cried, tossing the pillow across the room. "I'm gonna be a nervous wreck!"

"Alright, enough of this nervous talk! Today is Teddy's and Vic's day and we're going to make sure it goes perfectly for them." Starlene said standing up. "Now, let's get ready. I know it's early but some of the bouquets still need to be put together and the wedding starts at 1pm, which only leaves us about 7 hours to get everything ready."

"Starlene's right. We should get started." Dom added. We all got up and to our surprise we weren't the only ones awake. The boys and all the adults were making their way downstairs as well. Grandma Weasley was already serving breakfast. We all sat down and James sat next to me, dropping a kiss to my cheek as I smiled at him.

"I'M GETTING MARRIED!" Vic shrieked. Dom stood to her feet and screamed girlishly as well, jumping up and down. Louis just smiled wryly at his sisters and shook his head.

"Where's Teddy?" I asked.

"He's staying at his grandmother's house. Bad luck to see the bride before the wedding right?" James said with a grin. I laughed and kissed him.

Soon the whole house was abuzz with activity. We went from setting up bouquets, to tying bows and ribbons, to painting all of our nails, to showering, to doing hair, to getting dressed, and then finally; we were lining up and getting ready to walk down the aisle in front of Vic.

Vic looked absolutely stunning. She was wearing an ivory mermaid style gown. It was satin with a layer of gorgeous florific lace on the outside. It had a dipping back that showed off Vic's creamy skin; lace bordering her bare back. The trane was at least 5 feet long and trailed beautifully behind her. Her hair was pulled into a french twist with curly tendrils framing her face, as a small and diamond studded tiara graced the top of her head. She wore very little makeup; light black eyeliner with a light golden eye shadow, just enough blush to make her cheeks look flush, and a light pink lipstick that brightened her smile. She held a bouquet of wine red roses that showed off her flawless pale skin. She was beautiful.

All of us bridesmaids were wearing knee length wine red dresses, to match the roses. They were one-shouldered with flowers crawling up the shoulder strap. We were carrying ivory roses and had ivory sashes tied in bows around our waists. Our hair was curled and left down. My hair practically reached the middle of my back now. I never usually allow it to get this long, I prefer short hair, but James loves it long so...I kept it long.

The boys were just as dashing. Each in black pant suits with wine red vests over crisp white shirts. They had black jackets and an ivory rose pinned to their chests. Harry was Teddy's best man and Dom of course was the maid of honor. Dom was wearing a smaller tiara to mark her as the maid of honor, and Harry had an ivory rose to mark him the best man. James looked devastatingly handsome. His hair was slicked to the side again, revealing his gorgeous hazel eyes. Red looked really good on him, it made his hair stand out which of course made his eyes stand out. I could get lost in his eyes. He came to stand next to me and offered me his arm, grinning down at me.

"You look so beautiful." He told me.

"You look so handsome." I told him.

He scoffed. "No one's going to look at me with you standing right next to me."

I laughed. "Please, spare my life. You're gonna have every girl's eye stuck on you."

"I'm gonna have to beat the blokes away with a stick. I can only imagine what they're all thinking right now. Can't wait till I learn Occlumency. I'll be able to read the wanker's minds and then hex them."

I laughed at that. "You are crazy, ya know that?"

"Crazy about you."

I blushed. It amazed me how he could still make me blush with such a simple statement. But even though it was simple, he said with complete genuineness. Starlene was first accompanied by Freddie, Rose was next accompanied by Scorpius, then James and I, Lily and Al, Roxanne and Hugo, Dom and Harry, and then finally Vic and Bill.

"Hold on tight, I won't let you fall." James whispered as it was our turn to move.

I smiled at him.

"I know you won't."

We walked down the aisle together and I knew that he would ensure that nothing bad would happen. We made it down perfectly as we stepped to opposite sides of the tent. Teddy was grinning like a fool as soon as Vic made her way down. His eyes never left hers and hers never left his. Bill gave Vic's hand into Ted's and soon the ceremony began. I had never been to any kind of a wedding before and so I wasn't sure what to expect. The wizard officiating said a few kind words about love and about what marriage means before he asked Teddy if he would cherish, protect, and love Vic for as long as he lived and then if he accepted her as his wife.

"I do." He replied.

Vic was asked the same questions. Would she cherish, protect, and love Teddy for as long as she lived and did she accept him as her husband.

"I do." She answered, grinning.

"I know pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss your bride." He said to Teddy. Teddy whooped loudly as he grabbed Vic, spun her into a dip and then leaned down to kiss her. Everyone erupted into laughter and cheers. Teddy drew back and grinned at Vic before grabbing her hand in his and holding them up in the air as if they had just won a Quidditch championship. Harry, Ron, Bill, and my Dad waved their wands and soon the tent widened, a dance floor appeared in the middle of the tent and the chairs were being arranged around tables. A table of wine and champagne and finger foods appeared on one side of the tent while on the other side a long table full of presents appeared. Music filled the area and soon everyone was making their way to congratulate the newlyweds. James found me and took my hand, pulling me towards Teddy and Vic.

"Well done mate." James said with a grin. Teddy turned and hugged James, both of them slapping each other's back.

"Thanks. I'm one lucky bloke." Teddy replied beaming.

"Congrats you two." I said as I hugged Vic and Teddy.

"Just be sure to wait a few years before you start popping out kids. I'm too young to be an uncle." James said.

Teddy laughed. "Blimey James, give me a few minutes of marital bliss before I start thinking about children!"

Vic and I laughed.

"Oh Paislee, I almost forgot to tell you. You're going to be the ending act. In about two hours we'll have you sing. Is that alright?" Vic asked.

I gulped. "Uh...yeah...sure that'd be g-great."

Vic smiled kindly at me. "Don't worry Paislee; I'm sure you'll be brilliant."

"I uh...I n-need a piano th-though." I said shakily; my nerves overtaking me. I felt James grip on my hand tighten reassuringly.

"No problem, we'll shrink the one upstairs and bring it down here. It'll be ready for you when it's time." Teddy said.

I opened my mouth to say something about this not being such a great idea, but the happy couple was bombarded by people and they turned their attention to them. I felt James leading me towards the dance floor as a slow song started and soon we were dancing.

"You're going to be brilliant." He told me.

"I've never sang in front of this many people before."

"Not even at your country fair?" He asked.

I laughed. "That _county _fair James. And no, not even then."

"You're going to do great. Don't worry so much." He said as he bent his head and kissed me softly on the lips. I melted into it, into him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and sighed softly. The moment ended though when a fast song came on and we were soon surrounded by the rest of the gang.

We danced and laughed and I even danced a slow song with my Dad. We talked about what time we were going to leave in the morning and what stops were going to have to make beforehand. I felt tears sting my eyes as I thought about leaving.

"You sure you wanna leave kid?" My Dad asked.

I looked up at him and felt a tear escape. "It's gonna be so different. I'm gonna miss you so much, I'm gonna miss my new friends...but I also miss my home, my old friends. Plus, I got a full ride Dad; I can graduate Healer school early by starting next week. We already found me an apartment and made the down payment...as much as this is gonna hurt, it's what I need to do."

"If you're sure..." He trailed off as he looked at me uncertainly.

"I'm sure." I replied. The song ended and he kissed my forehead as Teddy and Vic walked to the front of the tent.

"We'd like to thank all of you for coming and making this the happiest day of both of our lives." Teddy said, looking at Vic and grinning. She beamed back at him. "We're about to close the night, but before we'd like to ask Paislee Hayes to come to the front. Paislee is going to sing a song to end the night perfectly."

I gulped and looked at my Dad, he smiled encouragingly. I looked at James next and he winked at me, giving me a thumbs up. I stood up on shaky legs and made my way to the front. Teddy and Vic walked around and sat at the first table up front as I sat at the piano bench. I took a deep breath. I pulled my wand out and cast a sound enhancer spell around the me and the piano, that way the sound traveled throughout the tent.

"Um...hi...my name is Paislee. Paislee Hayes. Vic and Teddy...uh...they asked me to sing a song for y'all...well, for them in front of y'all, and I...I'm really nervous so I'm sorry if I mess up. This song...um...this song is really close to my heart and I...uh...I think it fits Teddy and Vic perfectly. It's called Faithfully. So uh...here's to you Teddy and Vic. May your lives be filled with a happiness and joy that can never be taken away."

I took another deep breath and allowed my fingers to slide across the keys and I started to sing. The song wasn't very long, but it was beautiful. I sang with everything that was in me, pouring my soul into the song. I was singing for Teddy and Vic of course, but for some reason my eyes never left James'. He held my gaze the entire song. It was as if he was singing the song back to me even though his lips never moved. I could read everything he was feeling through his eyes. His grin grew as the song started to end. And as I sung the last line and played the last few keys, he mouthed 'I love you.'

The song ended. Applause ran through the tent. And as soon as I stood from the bench we said goodbye to Teddy and Vic. Fireworks erupted outside as they walked out of the tent, still clad in their wedding attire, and waved before smiling at one another and disapparating.

The wedding was over.

And I only had a few hours before I said goodbye to my new family.

OoOoOoO

The wedding was cleaned up quickly and we all changed into normal clothes and we started talking about all the details and how beautiful Vic was and how dashing Ted was. The girls gushed about my song and how much they loved it. And then the dreaded conversation came.

"You're really leaving tomorrow aren't you?" Starlene asked quietly.

My heart started racing and fear rushed through my veins. I swallowed thickly and nodded.

"So tonight's goodbye?" She asked.

I nodded again.

"I'm gonna miss you." Dom replied.

"Me too." Lily said.

"Me three." Roxanne added.

"Me times a bloody thousand, this is absolutely horrid!" Lily exclaimed as tears poured down her face. Starlene and Rose had tears in their eyes as well.

"Y'all better write." I told them as I opened my arms. All five girls came to me and we had a group hug. Sniffles and quiet sobs could be heard.

"You better love that school of yours and if I hear you get anything less than perfect marks I will apparate to America and kick your blonde arse." Starlene threatened.

We all laughed. Leave it to Starlene to ease the tension.

"I promise to never make anything less than a hundred." I told her.

"We'll have to visit during the holidays, and long breaks if we get them." Dom said.

"I agree. This isn't goodbye; it's just see you later!" Roxanne said brightly.

"It's gonna be hard though." Rose added softly.

"I know it is, and I'm gonna miss y'all so much." I said, wrapping my arms around the group tighter.

"When are you and your Dad going to leave?" Lily asked.

"Probably really early. We have to be at the admissions office at 10am and we also have to visit my grandparents and drop off my stuff at my apartment. That's a lot to do before10am. So Dad was thinking around 5am. We're leaving tonight though."

"Tonight?!" They shrieked.

I nodded. "We're gonna stay at the Leak Cauldron. We don't wanna wake y'all up early when you don't have to...plus...I can't...I just can't say good..." I cut myself off, biting my lip and trying to will the tears away. "It's just easier this way."

There was a knock on the door.

"Paislee?" I heard my Dad say. "It's time to go kid."

The girls hugged me tighter and I stood up. They stood with me and kept their arms around me and around each other. My Dad smiled sadly at me as we made our way downstairs. Everyone was down there and we were passed from adult to adult starting with the grandparents, then Bill and Fleur, Angelina and George and finally to Ginny.

"I'm going to miss you Paislee." Ginny said as she hugged me tightly.

"Me too Ginny." I whispered against her.

Ginny choked out a laugh. "You cheeky little devil, of course you'd call me Ginny the night you leave!"

I couldn't help but grin at her. I hugged Harry next, and then Hermione and Ron before finally landing at Scorpius, Al, Hugo, and Freddie.

Scorpius hugged me, while Al ruffled my hair before hugging me. Hugo hugged me as well, a bit awkwardly but it was the thought that counted. Freddie grinned wickedly at me before grabbed my arm and pulling me into a hug.

"It's been quite a year American." He whispered against my hair.

I laughed. "There hasn't been not one boring moment."

Freddie pulled back and had that same grin on his face. "You better write. You'll have to visit mine and James' stag pad."

"Stag pad?" Starlene asked with a raised brow.

Freddie winked at her and then hugged me once more. "Take care of yourself. And before you ask, he's outside, waiting for you."

I nodded and stepped back, tears swimming in my eyes.

"Goodbye everybody. Thank you..._so much_...for everything. I love all of you and I'm gonna miss y'all so much. Please, write and visit as much as possible." I said, my voice thick with emotion.

All the girls and adult women had tears pouring down their faces.

"Thank you, all of y'all. This has been a great year." My Dad said. He turned to look at Harry. "See ya in two weeks Boss."

"Bye guys." Ginny whispered.

We waved and walked out. My legs were shaking and my Dad had a firm hand around my shoulders, helping me walk. We were a few feet from the house when I heard James.

"Paislee."

I turned and saw him. He had on a dark grey V-neck t-shirt with dark jeans, his hair back to its usual messy look.

"I'll meet you the Leaky Cauldron." I told my Dad.

"You sure?" He asked.

I nodded. "This is something I need to do alone."

"Alright, see you there kid."

My Dad walked a few more feet and then there was a crack as he disapparated. I turned and walked towards James. He was walking towards me as well and we met in the middle.

"You're leaving." He stated.

I nodded, biting my lip and trying to keep the tears at bay.

"I didn't actually think you would leave." He said.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

He reached for me, grabbing my waist and pulling me close to him. My head was against his chest and I could hear his heart beating. It was beating quickly, as if he were afraid. I'm sure mine was beating just as quickly.

"Please don't go." He whispered against my hair.

"I have to." I told him.

He pulled back and grabbed my fast, pulling it towards his and kissing me over and over again, each one a bit more frantic, a bit more harsh.

"Stay. Stay with me." He said between each kiss.

I let the tears fall then. "James, I can't."

"Yes you can. We could get you another scholarship, you could get a flat with Dom and Starlene and Roxanne. Your Dad is here too so you wouldn't be so far away from him...so far away from me." He said, his eyes wide, begging.

"James, I have to go. I have a life there."

"You can have a life here, with me."

I let out a choked sob and stepped back. "James..."

"Paislee, please. Please don't leave. Stay here, make a new life here. Just...don't leave...please...don't leave me." He begged, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I h-have to James...I'm so s-sorry." I told him. I pressed a kiss to his forehead and started walking backwards. He grabbed my hand and let slip through until only our fingers were touching.

"I love you James Sirius Potter." I told him.

"I love you Paislee Jeanette Hayes. I'll never love anyone else. I'll love you forever and the life after this, if there is one, I'll love you then as well."

I turned my back and walked away, disapparating shortly after, leaving the only boy I'd ever love behind.


	22. Chapter 22

I'm pretty sure my Dad is officially freaked out. I mean, don't get me wrong he's really good in life or death situations; but sobbing uncontrollably teenaged girls? Not really his thing. He's trying though. As soon as I got to the Leaky Cauldron I collapsed into his arms. He wrapped his arms around me as I soaked his chest with my tears. He rubbed my back soothingly but he didn't say anything. I'm sure he didn't really know what to say. He's not a liar so he didn't try to tell me that everything was going to be okay, because he can't be sure of that. And if he can't be sure of it, he won't say anything. I'm kinda thankful for it though. He's not filling me full of false hope. I know that nothing is going to be okay for quite some time. I know that _I _won't be okay for quite some time.

Eventually I exhausted myself and allowed sleep to overtake me. Dad woke me up and the moment my eyes opened they filled with tears. Dad's eyes filled with fear and he opened his arms up for me again. I sobbed again, barely able to contain myself. Dad asked me over and over again if leaving was really a good idea, but I couldn't answer him. I couldn't talk. I could only cry and nod my head. This had been my plan since I first left America. I had already promised my grandparents that I would be seeing them more often and they were so ecstatic; I couldn't disappoint them. It would be selfish of me to stay now. I was the only thing left of my Mom that they had. This year away had been really hard on them.

I squeezed my Dad tightly and moved to get up. He looked hesitant at first, scared that I wouldn't be able to stand on my own two feet. I did though. Shakily, I stood and walked to the bathroom intending to get ready fast and get outta England as quickly as possible. I showered, dressed, and put some make-up on to make myself look not so much like death. I had dark shadows under my bloodshot eyes; and they were puffy from crying so much. I had to go to the school and meet with the Dean and I was worried about not looking presentable. I cast a drying spell on my hair, not wanting to mess with it and soon I came out. Dad had already showered and he had packed while I got dressed. He looked at me cautiously.

"Paislee...are you _sure_?" He asked me.

"Dad," I croaked. "Please...don't ask me that again. Let's just go."

He looked as if he were about to argue, but he closed his mouth and held out his hand. I grabbed it and we disapparated.

We ended up right outside of my grandparents' house. I gasped as my feet found purchase on the ground. Disapparation isn't my favorite way to travel. As exhausted and distraught as I was at leaving James, the sight of my grandparents' house was achingly great to see. I smiled softly and my Dad squeezed my hand. We made our way up their long driveway and soon their door was thrown open.

"Jace! Paislee!" My grandmother cried.

"Gram!" I cried back and started running towards them. My grandparents met me half way and I threw myself in their arms. My grandparents are fairly young, only in their late 50s. My Dad was 37 and my Mom had been 30 when she'd passed away. And my grandparents had had my Mom when they were in their early 20s.

"Oh Paislee, we've missed you so much!" My grandmother stated.

"I've miss you to Gram." I told her.

"How ya been squirt?" My grandfather asked as they released me and stepped back to grin at me.

"Busy." I laughed.

"That's an understatement." My Dad replied. My grandparents walked up to him and embraced him. I saw my Dad stiffen for a moment, still not comfortable with all the touchy feely stuff, and I snickered. He shot me a look as he relaxed his shoulders and embraced my grandparents back.

"It's good to see you Jace; we've missed you as well." Gram said.

"Ditto." Dad replied with a smile.

"Well, let's get inside. We've got some catching up to do before y'all leave." Gramps said. I smiled at his accent. It had been so long since I'd heard another American accent besides my Dad. A twinge of sadness stabbed at me suddenly as I thought of the gorgeous British accents I had grown to love. And with thoughts of British accents came thoughts of James. Tears stung my eyes and I quickly blinked them away, following my Dad and grandparents inside.

The familiar landscape of my grandparents' house filled me with warmth. It'd been over a year since I had been in the house, but everything was the same. It was a relief. With all the changes that I'd been forced to undergo it was nice to know some things hadn't changed. Photograph's of my Mom littered the walls; pictures of her growing up, of her and my Dad's wedding day, family photos of the three of us. I smiled at them. There were a few of just her and my Dad when they were teenagers and dating. I stared at one in particular. My Dad couldn't have been more than 19, my Mom 16 or 17. They were just looking at each other, sitting on my grandparent's porch swing. They probably hadn't even realized someone was taking their picture. My Dad's eyes were staring straight into my Mom's and I felt my heart clinch. I had seen that look before, but in eyes so hazel they were almost gold.

James had looked at me like that. His eyes shining with a love so intense it startled me at times. My breath hitched a bit and I saw my Dad staring at me. I shook my head, trying to clear it, and walked into the living room. I settled in between my grandparents and allowed them to ask me question after question about my time in England. I managed to get through them without crying.

That is, until they asked about James.

"What about that boy you were seeing? Is he gonna come around soon and introduce himself?" Gramps demanded with a smile.

I felt my heart stop at that. I felt as if someone had sucker punched me in the gut. I know I whimpered because suddenly my grandparents were looking alarmed. I opened my mouth to answer but a sob came out instead.

"Paislee...?" Gram trailed off.

I buried my face in my hands and tried to gain control of my breathing.

"Did I do something wrong?" Gramps asked my Dad softly.

"No, she's just...having a hard time. James and Paislee were...well...they were pretty serious and he's staying in England of course to begin his Auror training and Paislee's coming here to go to Healer school. They...well...they choose different paths." My Dad told them.

"Oh Paislee..." Gram said sadly as she enveloped me into a hug. I allowed her to hold me close and I released a shuddering breath.

"I'm okay." I croaked out.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart." Gramps said, squeezing my shoulder. I excused myself to the restroom and splashed some cold water on my face. I looked up at my reflection and winced.

I looked like hell.

I reapplied some make-up and pinched my cheeks to get some color back to my face. I walked back out to the living room and my grandparents immediately started chattering about what they had been up to all year and how much I had grown (insert snort here, I haven't grown since I was 13) and how my Dad looked so fit and how proud of me and him my Mom would've been. It was nearing 9:30 though and we still had to get to Atlanta and my apartment so we bid my grandparents goodbye, promising to stop by again soon.

We made it to Atlanta's Healing School for the Magically Gifted just in time for my appointment. My Dad waited for me outside as I met with the Dean.

"Paislee Hayes, it's a pleasure to meet you." Mr. Greenman said as he shook my hand and gestured me to have a seat.

"Thank you; it's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"You have a very impressive resume for someone who was homeschooled for most of her magical education." He told me with a kind smile.

I smiled nervously back at him. "Th-Thank you sir."

_Great, I'm stuttering. Fan-friggin-tastic._

"I see that you graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Yes sir. My Dad and I moved to England last year since he got a job offer to work at their Ministry of Magic in their Auror office." I told him.

"Jace Hayes, yes, yes. A very great man. Harry Potter requested him, did he not?"

I nodded. "Yes sir. He worked a lot of hours and couldn't homeschool me anymore so I went to Hogwarts for my final year." An overwhelming sadness threatened to crush me as I thought of the gang. Starlene and her crazy hijinks. Dom with her obsession with make-up and fashion. Lily and her fiery temper. Al with his easy going nature. Roxanne and her gift for all things scholarly. Rose and her love of books. Scorpius and his love for Rose. Freddie and his wicked sense of humor. James with his-

_James_.

Oh how my heart ached for him. It hadn't even been 24 hours and I could barely take it.

"Why did you want to come here, Ms. Hayes?" Mr. Greenman asked, jerking me out of my thoughts.

"I'm sorry?"

"Why did you want to come here? Your grades are most excellent and you could've easily obtained a scholarship at other places far more prestigious than here, especially with a diploma from Hogwarts."

I swallowed thickly and cleared my voice. "Well sir, I have family nearby. I wished to be closer to them. Plus, this is a really good school. One of the best in the country."

Mr. Greenman grinned. "True, true. We do have an excellent program here. Speaking of which, I noticed you signed up for all academic classes. You need at least one elective per semester."

"Elective?" I asked.

"Yes, an elective. We believe in growing well-rounded wizards and witches here and in order to do that we ask that our students take classes that they are interested in past their professional wants."

"Oh...erm...okay." I took the sheet he was handing me and looked over the list of elective classes I could take. I grinned as I saw the perfect one.

"I'd like to take piano." I said softly. Mom would be happy I did it.

Mr. Greenman grinned back at me. "Perfect. Now, do you have any questions for me?"

I shook my head. "No sir, I think I'm set."

"Fabulous! Well then, it was a pleasure to meet you. Please feel free to tour the school on your own if you would like. Classes start Monday. I look forward to helping you in your pursuit of being a Healer Ms. Hayes." He stuck his hand out to me again and I shook it.

"Thank you sir. I look forward to it as well." I walked out and met my Dad.

"How'd it go?" He asked as we walked around campus, just taking in the sights.

"Fine." I replied, not really elaborating.

"Fine? Are you excited? What classes are you going to take? C'mon kid, throw me a bone here." Dad said.

I sighed. "I'm sorry Dad. I'm just...tired."

Dad wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "I know kid."

"I'm going to take a piano class." I told him, smiling slightly.

"Really? But...you already know how to play piano."

"I know. We have to take at least one elective per semester and...well, I though Mom might've wanted me to..."

Dad squeezed my shoulder. "I'm sure she'd be proud."

We finished walking around and we decided to grab a bite to eat before going to my new apartment. We ate at a little diner on campus and Dad told me about a few cases they were working on and how much work he was gonna have when he got back. We paid for the meal and left for my apartment. It was on campus luckily and we just walked there. It was a nice distraction, despite the fact that I was exhausted. I was on the third floor at the other end of the hallway at 342B. My things were already waiting for me and I was grateful for that.

"Nice digs." Dad commented.

I nodded. He was right. This apartment was very nice. I had my own little kitchen with a full sized bathroom, a decent sized bedroom and a living room with plenty of space. It was perfect for me.

I raised my wand and with a small wave my things started to unpack. My grandparents had fully stocked my kitchen with silverware and dishes, as well as all the essential kitchen appliances. There wasn't a T.V. which I was fine with; I didn't really watch much television. I preferred to read. I had a bookcase fully stocked with some of my favorite books as well as all my Healer books and my old school books. A few more knick knacks and some pictures and maybe a plant or two and this place will really start to feel like home.

"So, it's still a bit early in the day. What do you wanna do?" My Dad asked me.

"Sleep." I told him as I collapsed on my couch. Dad laughed and sat next to me, picking up my feet and placing them in his lap.

"Go to sleep kid."

"Love you." I mumbled.

"Love you too Paislee."

OoOoOoO

Dad stayed with me for two more days. He had the whole week off, but I wasn't much company for him, plus I knew that he actually wanted to get back to work. Dad gets fidgety when he has too much time on his hands. I also wanted to see my old friends. I still hadn't told them I was in town yet and I wanted to surprise them. Dad didn't really want to go but I convinced him that I would be fine. It was a teary goodbye, for me at least my Dad never cried, but it was for the best.

Of course I hadn't expected the overwhelming sadness to slam into me the moment he left. I was all cried out though. I had never cried so much in my life. I hated crying. I always felt weak when I did it, as if I couldn't control myself or my emotions. I slept the entire day after my Dad left.

It was pathetic.

_I_ was pathetic.

When I woke up the next day after my Dad left I mentally smacked the back of my head. I bucked up and took a shower, ate some cereal and left to see my old friends. Kerianna had told me that she, Lisa, and Britney were hanging out practically every day at her house. I took a deep breath and disapparated.

I appeared right in front of Kerianna's house. They must've heard the loud crack because soon I could hear Kerianna shouting.

"_What the hell_?" Kerianna cried from inside.

"_Kerianna_!" I heard her Mom chastise.

"_Sorry Mom! I'll go check it out_." Kerianna called.

I started walking towards the house just as Kerianna opened the door. She stopped in her tracks when she saw me.

"Paislee?!"

"The one and only!" I replied grinning.

"OH MY GOD!" She shrieked and ran at me. I laughed and then 'oofed' as she tackled me to the ground, landing both of us in the grass. Soon I heard my name being shrieked be two other girls and soon I felt more bodies climb on top of us.

"PAISLEE FREAKIN' HAYES!" Lisa cried out laughing.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! YOU'RE FINALLY BACK!" Britney yelled.

"Can't...breathe..." I managed. They all laughed and got off of me. Once we were all standing we squealed and went into a group hug.

"We missed you so much Paislee." Kerianna said softly.

I smiled. "I missed y'all too."

We broke apart and immediately went into the house. Mr. and Mrs. Bryant greeted and hugged me. Mrs. Bryant went to go make some lemonade and cookies like back when we were kids. We went into Kerianna's room and swapped stories. They told me of how high school was and how they all graduated that year, they were a year older than me, and how Kerianna had a boyfriend now and what their majors were going to be, where they were living once the summer was over, and a plethora of other things. It was a nice visit. It was nearing 8p.m. by the time I finally left. I allowed Mr. and Mrs. Bryant to talk me into staying for dinner. Lisa and Britney left before dinner, so it was just me and Kerianna walking outside of the house for her to tell me bye.

"It was so good to see you Kerianna." I told her.

She frowned at me and I was taken aback by the sudden change in her demeanor.

"What?" I asked, fearful that something was wrong.

"Why are you here?" She asked me.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"Paislee...all those pictures you sent, every letter I received, was full of James Sirius Potter."

Insert punch to the stomach here.

"He was all you talked about. And you are a mess right now. Don't try to deny it either, I know you better than you know yourself." She said, pointing a finger at me.

It was true; she really did know me better than I knew myself.

"You should be there with him." She said after a few moments of silence.

"Nice to know you're happy to see me." I tried to joke.

Kerianna scowled at me. "I'm friggin' ecstatic to see you Paislee...but not like this. You're sad. Worse than sad. You're lost."

I couldn't suppress the shudder that went through my body at the impact of her words.

"M'fine." I told her.

"Liar." She retorted. "You're not fine. And it's okay, it's okay to not be fine. But it's not okay to torture yourself and him. There's no reason for it."

"This is my home Kerianna. I missed you guys and my grandparents and my Mom. My Mom's here Keri."

Kerianna shook her head. "Your Mom's not here Paislee...she's _here_." She said pointing to my heart. "And she's with you no matter where you are."

I swallowed thickly. "I just need some time to readjust."

Kerianna smiled sadly at me. "Time is fleeting and it never lets us catch up to it. But time can be a healer too and help us through those periods in life that had previously seemed like too much. But time never fails to remind us of what we once had."

I let her words sink in. Kerianna was always the smart one in our group. And she always knew what to say in order to make you think twice.

"I...I'm not..."

Kerianna hugged me. "Just...don't sacrifice something just to make others happy. You've sacrificed enough. G'night Paislee." And with that she turned and walked back into her house. I stumbled foward a bit before disapparating back to my apartment, Kerianna's words still ringing in my ear.

OoOoOoO

The next few weeks seemed to go slower than molasses in an igloo. I had enough school work to keep me busy, but I had never felt more alone. I thought coming back to America and being closer to my friends and grandparents would've made me happy...but they all had lives too. Kerianna, Britney, and Lisa all had summer jobs now. My grandparents called a lot and so did my Dad. But Dad had work and my grandparents did too. They both worked for our Ministry of Magic; Gramps in the Auror department and Gram was a secretary. The girls and Freddie had Owled me the other day. I sent Alura with long and prompt replies full of lies of me loving it here. In all honesty I was miserable. I missed my Dad, I missed the gang, I missed Hogwarts, I missed the Burrow, but most of all I missed James. I hadn't heard from him at all and the girls only said that he was 'managing.' Whatever the hell that meant. I sure wasn't managing. I was doing the exact opposite of managing.

I had been back for a little over a month when I finally managed to visit my Mom's grave. It was late and getting dark by the time I made it there. I conjured up some flowers and placed them next to her headstone. I sat down and leaned against the stone.

"Hey Mom." I said quietly. "It's been a while since I've been here. I'm a total coward. You were one of my main reasons for coming back and here it is a month later and I'm just now making it. I'm sorry. I know you raised me better than that. There's just been...so much to take in. So much has changed. I've changed, and I'm not exactly sure that I like it. In fact, I _know _that I don't like it. I don't like _me_. I feel as if a piece of me is missing. Like a piece of my soul is missing."

I sighed.

It was a bit chilly, but it felt nice. Atlanta was stifling during the summer. Part of me was wishing I had waited till the fall to start school.

"I miss him Mom." I whispered, tears falling from my eyes, spilling onto my cheeks. "I miss him so much it hurts. This isn't what I thought it would be. I feel more alone now than ever even though I'm near Gram and Gramps and my old friends. But they all have lives now. We're different people. England changed me. No. No, _James _changed me. I love him Mom. I love him like you loved Dad. Like Dad still loves you. He's what I dream about, he's what I think about the moment I wake and before I go to sleep and every moment in between. I don't think I'll ever love anyone like I love him. I don't think I want to love anyone else."

I was shaking now.

"What do I do now Mom? I can't just leave school in the middle of the semester." I asked her, knowing she couldn't answer me back. "What do I do? Please...tell me...I need you Mom, I miss you. I miss you so much. I wish you were here to tell me what to do next."

I stayed there, silent, for a few minutes before finally getting up.

"I love you Mom." I told the grave and then I thought about Kerianna's words. I grabbed at my heart and felt a slight peace. I smiled softly in the dark and wiped my eyes.

I disapparated and appeared back at my apartment. I fumbled for my key and unlocked the door. It was pitch black and I tripped on something, sprawling myself on the floor and knocking my wand across the room. I cursed and stood to my feet, trying to find the light switch.

But I didn't need it.

The room suddenly lit up with the soft glow of over a hundred different candles. Giving the room a soft and beautiful glow. The floor was littered with white rose petals and I could smell sweet vanilla in the air. There was a piano being played in the background and I heard a small noise come from the center of my living room.

And in the middle of the room was James.

My heart stopped. All the air knocked out of me at once at the sight of him. His hair was messy, as it always had been, and his eyes seemed to glow. The hazel looking more gold in the candle lit room. He was smiling at me; the corners of his mouth pulled upwards, his hands in his jeans pockets looking relaxed.

"James." I breathed.

"Hey." He replied casually.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" I asked, slightly breathless.

"I was in the neighborhood..." He replied, amused.

"You were in the neighborhood." I repeated.

He was silent for a moment and then his grin disappeared as he looked at me seriously.

"Do you honestly think that I was just going to let you leave like that?" He asked quietly.

I didn't reply. I figured it was more of a rhetorical question.

"I was going to leave you alone at first. You had made your choice and I had made mine. I figured time would help, but it didn't. It made everything worse. Every day that you were gone was pure hell; the fire intensifying with each lonely day. I kept picturing you over here; happy, laughing along with your old friends and your family. I pictured you finding some American bloke who would sweep you off your feet and it tore me up inside. Picturing you with some wanker, seeing you in a white dress and kissing him; and each day I would die a little more inside."

"James..."

"Can't you see Paislee? I couldn't let that happen." He said stepping closer to me, his hands out of his pockets now. "I know people say that eventually you'll find someone else. But Paislee...I don't want to find someone else. I want you. I want you and everything else that comes with you. I don't care where we live; here, back in England, in Timbuk-bloody-two. I don't give a damn. I just wanna be with you."

He was so close now that if I reached forward even the slightest bit I would touch his chest. He grabbed my face in between in his hands and I sighed, pushing my face closer into his hands and feeling my entire body warm up instantly, my body responding to the achingly familiar touch. He tilted my head upwards and tears were swimming in my eyes.

"I love you Paislee. And wherever you go, I'll go. As long as you still want me, I'm here."

I couldn't believe it. He was here. He was actually _here_. James Sirius Potter was finally here and all the sadness drained away and I instantly felt whole again. My soul had returned and I couldn't be happier. I reached behind his head and crushed his lips to mine.

James' eyes widened in surprise before he closed them and pulled me close against his body. He growled low in his throat as his hands clutched my face. He deepened the kiss, our lips molding together perfectly. My body melted into his and I couldn't believe how perfectly we fit. It was as if we were made for one another.

We eventually pulled back. James grinned down at me and swiped a thumb at my cheeks, getting rid of the tears.

"Wherever you go, I'll go too." I told him.

James threw his head back and laughed. I smiled at the sound; it had been way too long since I'd heard it.

"So where do you wanna go?" He asked.

"Home." I told him with a smile.

He smiled back and reached for my hand, our fingers lacing. And I knew in that moment that I would never be alone again.

**A/N: AND THAT'S ALL FOLKS! AHHHHHHHHHHHH! I can't believe it! It's FINISHED! Did y'all like the ending? I mean COME ON! He followed her to friggin' AMERICA! You didn't honestly think I'd let them not end up together did you? I'm very pleased with how this story ended, but I am so very sad that's over! I've been writing this story for over a year and it's hard to believe that I'm actually done now! First I would like to THANK Y'ALL! Thank you so very much for following Paislee on her journey and sticking it out with her when all hope seemed lost. Y'all are so amazing and I'm so thankful for each and every one of you who have read this story. I am truly humbled. Please let me know what you think of the ending. Thanks again guys. =]]**

**Sincerely, **

**Musey. **


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